Time for a Reboot!

 

I just spent a day wrestling with our home internet.  Anyone else with me here, the endless struggle to get and stay connected?  After a full year of trying over and over to resolve our seemingly endless issues with the company we used for years,  we threw in the towel, took the leap, and scheduled with a brand new provider.  But, multiple attempts of trying to get it installed, then unforeseen issues, and hour-long calls to customer service left me frustrated and still without connection. In a last-ditch effort, we decided to reboot the entire system. Lo and behold the issues were resolved!  All with just a simple flip of the power switch, we were back up and running.  It’s amazing how many technical issues can be resolved with a simple reboot. It got me wondering… could this apply to our lives as well?  Do we sometimes struggle to keep doing what “we’ve always done” and what we really need is a major change or a reboot? I’ve often been guilty of following a plan that is clearly not working.  I’ve thought that by just trying harder or by sticking with it longer we might just get life running smoothly again.  But what we really needed was way overdue was a whole new approach! We needed to move away from the familiar path and take new routes. It may be time for brand new directions for some of us. Maybe we need to rebel against the status quo and do things very differently.  We made a huge decision to downsize (really – to half-size our home!). After praying a lot, we concluded that the Lord wanted to trade our larger house and busy city for more financial space to invest in closeness and experiences rather than more of the same.  We packed everyone up and moved across the country to a smaller community and traded suburban highways for small town roads. We traded our overbooked schedule with everyone going different directions every evening for a quieter, slower pace where we get to enjoy our days together as a family.  We began again.  Was it difficult at times… of course!   Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Our family is running much more smoothly, the Lord is using us as a family to bless others, and everyone is MUCH happier! Change comes with its own set of challenges, doesn’t it?  Even after you bravely step into new territory, there is the “set up” period–you know– when you must change all your passwords, update all the devices, and start all over.  It’s the same for major changes in life.  But IT’S WORTH IT!  Maybe you need a huge change like we did. Maybe all you need is a simple reboot to get everything running smoothly again.  Whichever it is, let me encourage you to begin now. Take some extra time off this upcoming holiday season.  Put your plans and schedule on pause.  Gulp… maybe even skip school for a few extra weeks.  Go outside for regular walks with your spouse–get some fresh air together, alone, without kids.  Surprise everyone with an unplanned adventure to somewhere you’ve never been (you don’t have to go far… I bet your hometown has places you’ve never been)  Be brave, go during the day, when you’re supposed to be doing school!  Try a new cookie recipe and take some to your neighbors (maybe as an introduction…and eat the rest of the cookies for breakfast!). Even better, invite all your neighbors over for cookies and cocoa (our plan this year!).  Take a day off and stay in your comfy PJ’s while you read an entire Christmas book together. (It’s even more fun if you do it on a trampoline or next to a roaring fire). Go somewhere and spend time in a cabin. The point is to power off your “normal” routine and see what happens! And don’t stop there. As you make more changes, start praying for BIG ones the Lord may have for you. We did… and God has brought all sorts of amazing new things! Once our reboot was completed, we had lightning-fast service and connectivity.  We have all been marveling at the difference, wondering how we ever managed before, and wishing we had made the change sooner. I’m praying your reboot this season and more reboots in the upcoming seasons will have the same effect for your family!

“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth;  Will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

Blessings, Renita

Silence the Critics

 

Critics From the Cheap Seats

 

What do you say to the critics? You know them… those loud voices telling you that what you SHOULD or SHOULDN’T be doing in your parenting and homeschooling (and frequently other areas of your life).  

 

I have found these voices are often loudest from the “cheap seats”; those who were neither homeschooled, or are not homeschooling.  They like to shout out directions like arm-chair quarterbacks calling all the “plays” and moves that you SHOULD be making, while you are the one on the field playing your heart out and taking the all the hits.  These well-meaning voices never seem to end as they shout –“They better be reading by Kindergarten”– “Make sure they learn how to socialize” -–“Better join a co-op” – “Make sure they do Algebra & Physics”  “How do you expect to get them into college?”

 

But there’s another critic that’s even harder for me to ignore… the quieter, ever-present voice inside of me. This one is brutally honest and constantly whispers my secret fears … “You’re not qualified for this… You never even took Physics…You loved the socializing… and you turned out ‘just fine” …You are not enough–you’ll fail them!”  This critic is my worst enemy.

 

Dear parent: God has given you a task to do, and in His grace, He will give you EVERYTHING you need to accomplish it.  But we are going to have to put the critics on mute, stomp out all those “should do” flaming arrows, put our blinders on, and go for it!  

 

This path required me to depend, not on myself and my understanding, but only on the Lord.  I couldn’t fake it for long… my true motivations and intentions came out front-and center in the refining “fire” of days spent at home with my children. My own desire of trying be “good enough” or worse, my expectations that my children would validate my efforts and abilities.  My pride in “checking all the boxes” and seeing my children as shiny little “homeschool trophies” that was really only a form of idolatry.  And one of the hardest maybe, was the sting of my own shortcomings, my selfish desires for more “me-time” and the sometimes-hard-to-admit, streaks of my own laziness. Homeschooling has been a humbling task but, an ever-rewarding endeavor - not one to be undertaken lightly. Nothing can bring my heart to the surface faster than these little people. They can bring me to tears of joy one minute and throw a wrench into my plans like they are professional mechanics the next. They can set my emotions ablaze with just a single carefully worded match.  This daily dying to myself brings the Lord’s resurrection power into my days!

 

And time flies, too. One minute I was happily sipping hot chocolate with them while teaching them to read and the next minute, I am white-knuckling my car door’s handle while sitting shotgun as I teach them to drive.  It’s a wild ride! This ride will often require us to simply close our eyes and be willing to listen ONLY to the Lord’s voice.  He’s right there with us. He will lead us along the path we do not know.  We can trust Him. The time goes so very fast; treasure every moment.

 

So, tell your critics (even that one inside) to sit down and be quiet!  Then “suit up” (time alone with the Lord works wonders) and get back on the field. We are in this game for His approval alone, an audience of only one, He and He alone!  All of Heaven is cheering us on!

 

Blessings,

Renita

 

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” - John 10:27

 

They Got It...Right

 

Our teenagers “got it” right?  After all, we mastered Awana (Cubbies to T&T with the Timothy Award to show for it!).  We took them to church, each and every week.  We even hosted the Bible Bee competition and spent our summer breaks with scripture memory and in-depth inductive Bible study around family bonfires. We started out of the gate running this faith race strong.  Certainly, all our efforts resulted in success. So… they got it, right?  They got our faith…they must have.  We did all the “right” things, right?! I’m learning this lesson over and over myself.  Our children run their own race to a living relationship with the Lord.  Yes, God gives us an important role to play. We get to set a spiritual table before them and invite them to the feast.  We carry the responsibilities as parents to raise them in the “fear and admonition of the Lord”.  But, as a preacher once said, “God has no grandchildren”. OUR faith is not enough to pass the baton of faith to them and give them THEIR faith. Homeschooling is not enough to assure them their faith either.  Sure, it’s a wonderful way to create a greenhouse like environment for their faith to germinate in, and a safe place for tender plants to begin to grow.  Really, I don’t believe there is any better way!  I want to encourage you - don’t stop tending those tender shoots yet.  Don’t make any assumptions that “they got it” - just because you did all the right things in their younger years.  They may have prayed a salvation prayer, or won all the scripture memory awards, or came home from summer camp still damp-headed from a lake baptism.  Don’t stop daily discipling them!  Let me go a step further, I believe that the high school years are the prime time for them to BEGIN to make faith their own.  Yep, I said “begin”.  This is the time when they are developmentally able to make these types of life influencing decisions.  I rejoiced with each step toward God that my young children took.  But it’s when they started taking those faltering first steps into adulthood that I could begin to really see if they “got it”. These years are when they are moving “from innocence to holiness”, a phrase my husband has coined.  They are transitioning from knowing “Jesus Loves Me” and the simple faith of a child to “Yes, I know” and the life-altering decisions that accompany maturity.  It’s a vital stage in the development of their faith.  It’s when we begin to see the fruit of a living relationship with the almighty God.  And, as much as we would love to be able to, it’s not something we can manufacture.  We can only be their coaches and cheerleaders in this race as they run it. Too often, we let the “more important” subjects cut in and take precedence over our intentional faith developing studies when our students get to high school age. We comfort ourselves with thoughts “they got it”, right? The rigors of upper-level classes frequently move their daily quiet-times and intentional Bible studies to a back burner.  Do not give up!  Keep setting the spiritual table before them. This means keep prioritizing the Word in your school schedule and in your daily routines.  Keep on doing it alongside them until you witness them doing it alone - and then, keep studying the Bible together (It will be one of your greatest joys!).  Take it a step further, and make the focus on worldview, apologetics, and scripture memory take precedence over “lesser subjects” like geometry, physics, and dual credit.  Don’t miss these final years with your children to make an eternal impact! Oh…one more thing.  Our teenagers are masters at manipulation, and they can spot a counterfeit a mile away. So, if you are not practicing what you preach - you’re busted.  Take the time to model for them what this living, breathing, active and powerful faith looks like.  Make sure they see the priority the Word takes in your life and decisions you make.  Then, never stop praying and interceding for them as they run their race! Blessings, Renita “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” - Galatians 5:7

Your Homeschool Table – What are you Serving?

Homeschooling can be a bit like planning the menu and setting a table before our families. We all have a deep desire to make it an appealing, nutritious, and satisfying meal that EVERYONE will enjoy.

I may need to remind you, not everyone at your table likes the same things…. I know it’s almost comical to say it. OF course, they don’t!

My earlier homeschool table looked a bit like a medieval feast - with HUGE dishes of steaming hot math problems, and well-cooked portions of language arts. Since I’ve never been one to be a minimalist in the food area, so I also heaped on the delectable side dishes of leafy green science covered with thick creamy sauces of history and geography. Not to mention a variety of spicy additions to the table like Spanish, Latin, and Greek - just to flavor it all.  Of course, no one would want to miss out on any of the delicious desserts of delight-driven unit studies! There was so much to choose from, and I didn’t want to miss any of it!

All this curriculum consumption left my students sitting at our homeschool table, stuffed like a Christmas goose but not savoring a single bite! The table was full, and the meal was certainly “meaty”. A single glance at their faces told me that this wasn’t what they were hungry for!

Over time, our homeschool table evolved into more of a fast-food buffet at the kitchen counter during their high school days.  We threw out some quickly microwaved math with online grading, some co-op concocted literary analysis, and generous helpings of college dual credit classes.  We ate it while on the run to activities, sports, and part-time jobs.  We forgot how to even set the table and family meals gathered sitting down all together became a distant memory.

Lately, we’ve been re-discovering the delights of homeschooling (and eating) together.  But, not with super-sized portions, the hurry, and the over laden table.  Instead, we are learning to put a little less on our plates, while we linger a little longer and enjoy the company. 

We’re also tuning into what each of our children really need to have to function at their prime.  For instance, if I eat a bunch of carbs and sugar - I’m a complete mess.  Likewise, not all our children need to learn the same things at the same time.  Some students may be ready for academic challenges, but some may benefit more from time spent developing deep family connections. It’s the beauty of the homeschool table, we get to choose what is best for them to consume! 

We are re-learning how to set the table in our learning as well.  We are discovering the delight of days spent together with a less hurried approach. We are taking turns preparing and cooking the meals - and everyone is learning new life, kitchen, and study skills as we do it! 

We are making wiser choices with which subjects satisfy without leaving us stuffed. We streamlined our school schedule to make sure we are meeting our educational and our emotional needs.  We have been realizing that we can experiment with different textures and flavors of learning, like internships and building projects with true satisfaction. We are consuming less and savoring each bite more. 

In homeschooling, and in life, sometimes LESS is MORE.  This is what we have been discovering lately around our table, and aren’t most of the best lessons in life learned around a table?

Blessings,

Renita

 

“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” - Isaiah 55:2

20 Years Later...

20 Years Later… 

We are starting school today… yes, it’s a late start for most homeschoolers. I’m sipping my coffee and reflecting over the past 20 years of homeschooling my eight children as I let my sleepy teenagers wake up a bit slower (minus the alarm clock.)


This journey has definitely been the most easy, most difficult, most thrilling, most depressing, and the most unexpectedly beautiful adventure! What an invitation from God, I’m so glad I accepted it. And all along the journey I have been privileged to have gotten a front-row window seat.


In my early 20’s I wasn’t on the path to motherhood and homeschooling certainly was the furthest thing from my mind. My “career” was my plan. But then God gave me the “desires of my heart” before I even realized what they were! Homeschooling my children came into focus and became a reality.


We started out with nothing more than a sweet, eager-faced little towhead boy. With his newly sharpened pencil, he eagerly waited for me at a re-purposed, hand-me-down end table with a little stool in our unfinished basement and a handful of books. While we read and played together, I discovered a great and unexpected pleasure in teaching this little person whom I loved most in the whole world. I jumped wholeheartedly into the joy of teaching him and vowed I’d never share that joy with some unknown schoolteacher down the street.


As we ventured along this path, our family kept adding a new student every couple of years. One of my first big homeschool purchases was my “school table” – a real, school-quality, blue table with adjustable legs that we could raise and lower. I got quite a workout over the years doing deep squats near that table every day! I vividly remember sitting at that very table with my older three children and thinking, “Someday… all these chairs will be filled with my kiddos, and God wants ME to teach all of them!” It was hugely intimidating yet quite exciting, too!


We outgrew the table pretty quickly. I knew I was in over my head and would need divine intervention to complete this monumental task! I asked God to show up and help me do this…since it had been His idea from the beginning! I kept that table for many years, it was always a symbol of God’s provision for me: He called me to this job, and He showed up day after day to help me.


Our journey took us through several family moves to several different states. We participated in co-ops and didn’t participate in co-ops. We played sports, did music lessons and orchestras, joined theater groups, and drove to hundreds of soccer practices and ballet lessons–and didn’t do all that, too. We had seasons with church activities and programs and seasons without.


We prioritized the Word of God. We memorized scripture (thank you - Awana and the Bible Bee!) We read about our heroes with biographies about Christian missionaries from all over the globe. (My second big purchase was every YWAM Benge Christian Heroes Then & Now series ever printed!) We LOVED reading them out loud as a family and listening to them on road trips. They built an incredible shared heritage between the kids and us and gave all of us a passion for the world and godly heroes to look up to. We prayed over countries and Unreached People Groups. We studied worldview and apologetics together and learned about the world God so loves.


We spent endless hours lost in great books and read-alouds together –The Wingfeather Saga and the Mysterious Benedict Society series were a few favorites. Our family has many hysterical inside jokes that come from the pages of the books we shared together. Almost all my favorite homeschool memories contain references to the books we read.


We explored the wonders of science together. We watched as tadpoles turned into frogs (that lived for 7 YEARS!) We marveled at our caterpillars flying away as butterflies. We collected every type of stick, pinecone, stone and bird nest we could find! We took countless nature center and science museum field trips and practically grew up at the zoo. We did experiments (including my personal favorite…the dissections!) together at the kitchen table and in classes at coop together with our friends.


We learned about the world while we cooked the craziest concoctions, (ever tried Pilgrim Swill?) and eagerly tasted food from all over the world (Vegemite anyone?). Our home was filled with maps and globes. For many years we had maps on the kitchen table under clear tablecloths. Our favorite school time snacks came from our “Universal Yums” boxes as we tried treats from different countries.


We ventured into high school, eager to prove we had done this homeschooling thing well. We mastered dual credit college courses, and rigorous study, classic literature analysis papers and the ACT. We did all the “Bonus” questions, and extra credit assignments and we had years we didn’t even finish the book!


I discovered I had a passion for teaching– both at home, and in a co-op setting. We learned to manage our time (the kids and me!) by doing schoolwork, having part-time jobs and balancing our commitments and responsibilities. We survived Driver’s Ed (Only a few more to go…) We deepened our faith and understanding by taking the Perspectives of the World Christian Movement course together. We went on mission trips and learned to serve others. And we learned to bravely step off the fast track and customize their education to the person God created them to be with new and varied learning opportunities.


We experienced health issues and came face-to-face with cancer, twice. We suffered deep tragedy and we wrestled with trusting in the goodness of God. We learned how truly faithful God is. We experienced beauty for ashes and thrilling new beginnings.


We came to the end of the school years for my first born (that seemed would never end) and I had the great joy to hand my son a high school diploma. I was an absolute emotional mess as I graduated Sam, my always eager student, in a full cap & gown ceremony with all the pomp and circumstance (How do we parents ever survive the Senior slide show?)


More years passed and more graduations have taken place. I’ve loved seeing each of them fly high beyond our homeschool! So much is happening now with all of them and some are launching into adulting from home which has had some amazing lessons, blessings and opportunities for all of us! My kiddos joke that I get more relaxed with each child… the last one will probably have a diploma thrown out the window at them as I speed off in my much-dreamed-about red convertible… and a laugh…a wild crazy laugh!) Homeschooling will make you lose your mind at times!


These past 20 years have taught me so much more than I ever dreamed. Sometimes I believe God’s direction to homeschool my children may have actually been more about my learning than theirs. There are amazing and abundant blessings that came with this decision! I have learned that I need to be constantly reliant on the Lord for each and every step along this path. Each new season requires His fresh guidance for the twists and turns ahead that only He knows are necessary for the wonders He wants to bring. I need to be truly as dependent on His leading today as I was in that first uncertain day.


This gift of TIME with my children is the most precious gift I’ve ever been given. I had time to get to know them, time experience life with them, time to learn together, time to grow in knowing God together, time to get to know and love on many people together and time to catch a glimpse of the amazing people God designed them to be.

I was given an invitation to participate in this great work to the very end of the journey–their graduation from High School and beyond! I’m so incredibly grateful! I pray that you will accept the invitation too!

Blessings,

Renita 

All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. - Isaiah 54:13

Two Trains

 TWO TRAINS

Where are you Going?

I’m probably going to be unpopular stating this opinion, but I have learned it from personal experience, so hear me out…

Maybe you do NOT need to do AP, Honors, or dual credit college courses while in high school. Whew… I said it, after graduating five students from our homeschool (they were all homeschooled K-12 and all earned college credits on their transcripts).

Close your eyes and imagine with me that you are getting on a train. You purchase your ticket and sit down to enjoy the scenery. BUT you forgot to check the train’s destination.

You wanted the “Scenic Train of Wisdom” that took the beautiful route–the one including stunning views and a delightful table set before you, complete with tea and scones as you gazed out the windows. You wanted to marvel at the company, enjoy the conversations, and simply soak it all in.

Instead, you accidentally purchased a seat on the “High-Speed Bullet Train of Knowledge”. You sat down, buckled up and took off. There’s no chance to see the sights as they whiz by, no time for a restful meal, no deep conversations. It’s just zoom to the destination in the most efficient and speedy way on the pre-determined train schedule.

This is what dual credit in high school was like for us. Sure, we were able to earn college credit in an efficient way and my children were certainly capable of doing the course work. But I should have remembered something I always say… “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” I forgot to check which train we took a seat on and the destination this ticket would take us to.

The “High-Speed Bullet Train of Knowledge” got them to college quicker, for sure. But we missed the scenery! We didn’t have time to taste the tea or enjoy the conversations on the ever-faster speeding pace. They earned college credit and stuck to the pre-determined schedule (which dictated our family schedule as well). My children finished their degrees and got off the faster train only to discover that they really didn’t know where they were. They arrived at the destination early but, they missed a whole lot along the journey that cannot be revisited. They were in the rush to get to that “somewhere” they couldn’t quite define. They had empty suitcases without the souvenirs and treasures they should have collected along the way. They had their college degrees in hand, yes, but they lacked much of the real-life wisdom and experiences that they could have had.

The slower “Scenic Train of Wisdom” takes a more enjoyable route. This train’s schedule allows for multiple stops along the way and offers the time needed to experience and engage in the opportunities that present themselves. You are even allowed to stop this train and get off to explore without disrupting the ever-demanding schedule. There is an open invitation to take side journeys like mission trips, back-yard building projects, and serving opportunities in all shapes and sizes. Not only that, but you can also collect precious souvenirs along the way–souvenirs like valuable lessons and skills learned while serving others and the real life experiences that will help put knowledge into practice, along with the abundant blessing of time to develop an ever-deepening understanding of who God is.

This has really gotten me thinking about these two trains. I know it’s very popular to grab a ticket on the “High-Speed Bullet Train of Knowledge” and get a head start on college, but, maybe what our children will miss out on isn’t worth the price of admission.

HIGH SCHOOL YEARS ARE THE BEST TIME TO HOMESCHOOL! The four short High School years are full of scenery we don’t want to miss. We finally get to relax from some of the pressure of teaching those labor-intensive basics and get to sit back to taste the depths of what our children know. We get to share real-life experiences together–without car seats, strollers and diaper bags! We get to enjoy deep conversations (usually late at night) as we get to really know WHO they are becoming while we listen to their hearts. These years are truly filled with WONDER! The “Scenic Train of Wisdom” has treasures we should consider carefully before we trade them for a couple more college credits.

The slower “Scenic Train of Wisdom” also gives our children a chance to look around and explore where they really want to go. High school is such a short season, and it can never be replaced. This is the final opportunity to truly taste all the options available and to see which they prefer before getting stuck on the fast track to college which can actually limit their choices long-term. College, on the other hand, doesn’t have a “use-by” date, it can be done any time for the rest of their lives.

I'm praying that before you hop on the homeschool train of high school (and you certainly will want to!) spend some time considering where the destination is heading to before you grab your seat!

Blessings,

Renita

“This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!” – Jeremiah 6:16

My Homeschool Alarm Clock

 It’s the time of the summer my thoughts start to turn toward our upcoming year.  I’ve finally given up all the guilt from things we didn’t finish and let go of the grand plans I made this time last year!   I’ve slept in, drank my coffee peacefully and completely unwound from the past school year.  Now, my internal homeschool alarm clock has started to ring to remind me to start looking ahead to our next year… or not?

 

I’m going into my 20th year of homeschooling (yep… with 5 more years to go) I feel like I’m having an “awakening” on our homeschool path.  I know, I should have this down already, right? I’ve graduated half of my students - all with near perfect GPA’s, beautifully curated transcripts, and even hefty college scholarships. Yet…I’m feeling the nudges from the Lord that a new and different plan is waiting for me around the bend. Strange, I know.

 

But these 20 years have taught me to listen to that “still small voice” and to follow where HIS path leads instead of my own understanding. So, instead of my usual attempts to get a running start to “planning season” for our homeschool year, I’m lingering in my summer-relaxed mode for at least a few more weeks.

 

Maybe some of you need a “thumbs up” to linger awhile longer as well.  It’s OKAY, maybe even BENEFICIAL to take a pause from the curriculum search and spend some time sipping coffee on your porch swing (or hammock) with a book you’ve been “saving” for a time when you have some time (Please - I can’t be the only one that does this!). Maybe you need another unscheduled day at home, or an impromptu hike or maybe even a swim (ocean, lake, river… even just the kiddie pool!)  Maybe the closest thing to school or planning you need is a few more chapters of your read aloud (remember… the one you didn’t finish) on the trampoline or the grassy spot under the tree at the local park?

 

I’m not sure why I feel the compulsion to SLOW down this summer.  Maybe it’s the realization of how few summers we really have in this season of parenting.  These summer days are limited editions, they don’t last forever, and they are impossible to replace!  I do know I want to savor them… not rush on to the next thing.

 

So mommas, here is your permission slip to hit snooze on that homeschool alarm clock!  Take some time to savor these final weeks of summer guilt-free with the amazing crew the Lord has gifted you with.  I dare you to jump in the water with your kids, eat the ice cream cones together, and wait to worry about the upcoming year.  The Lord has already gone before you, and he will show you the way you should go… at the proper time.

 

Blessings,

Renita

Rebels Unite!

 

Rebels Unite!

I saw this meme with this comment “Join the insurgency of the beautiful, good, and true.” I loved it! I’ve always been a bit of a rebel, but little did I know that is exactly what God wanted for me all along.  (Sorry Mom & Dad…) Insurgency can be defined as “an active revolt or uprising.” Sounds exactly like what we need today. Let’s start this insurgency of beauty, goodness and truth, and let the revolution begin in our homes and homeschools! How can we bring this uprising to life?  Here’s a couple of thoughts… Find the beautiful.  We need beauty, it’s transformative. Have you shown your children how to seek out and appreciate beauty?  It’s literally all around us, all the time.  We just need open eyes to see.  This requires intentional pauses (yes, that means we need to slow down!).  I challenge you to look around you right now… name something beautiful you see.  Is it outside in nature? Is it in the way light moves through your windows? Is it your favorite soft blanket, or coffee cup?  Tell your children what you find beautiful, show them.  I can almost guarantee - if you think it’s beautiful, they will too. Bring goodness.   Goodness has synonyms like “kindness, generosity or beneficial”. What could happen if a wave of kindness started spreading out from our homes?  It could change the world! Simple acts of kindness can completely change your day, and may I remind you… your children are watching and learning from you. When is the last time you smiled at a clerk and genuinely asked them how their day was going? Or let someone go ahead of you in the long check-out lane? Once again, opportunities are all around us if we a simply aware.  How about radical acts of generosity in the face of rising prices, inflation and shortages?  How could you share what you have and multiply your blessing?  It can be as simple as a batch of cookies shared with a neighbor (by the way, do you know their names?), or it could be much larger like sharing your time and resources with another struggling family. Could this infusion of goodness be beneficial to us? You betcha! (opps… my Minnesotan is showing again.) Prioritize the focus on the TRUTH in your daily life and in your homeschool lessons.  Have we helped our children recognize what is true from what is “almost true”? Our society has become inundated with lies, do we recognize them? This is where a constant study of the Bible and Apologetics will serve your family well and give them solid ground to take a stand on.  Don’t be tempted to assume that you have “covered” it before and that means that they have learned it. (Or that a weekly visit to church will be enough.)  We need a full immersion in truth! Keep repeating Bible and Apologetics lessons, every year, until you see the fruit of it in your life and your student’s lives.  We need daily inoculations of beauty, goodness and truth in our homes and homeschools and we must train our families to fearlessly pursue them! “I am doing a great work. I can't come down…” Nehemiah 6:3 Blessings, Renita

Lessons from the Campsite

 I can’t believe it took me so long to take the leap of faith and load up the family for a trek to the mountains to go CAMPING!

I know many of you are already “campers” and loving it, but to those of you that have been hesitating - I’m encouraging you to just do it!

The homeschooling lessons are abundant (and some of them worthy of the transcript ).  Here’s a few we picked up on this inaugural tent trip:

1.  We really need peace and quiet!  Yes, we did take 6 kids with us, ages 13-21, and yes, they are loud.  But one thing we all agreed on… the quietness from the daily bustle of electronics and media was soul-refreshing and much needed.  When is the last time you intentionally unplugged?  You don’t have to sleep in a tent to do it (although it helps). 

Homeschool Tip: Set a goal to make space for some quietness.

2.  We don’t need all the gear!  We were blessed to have the basics - tents, sleeping bags (lots and lots of sleeping bags), camp stove, and cooler.  After we got unpacked, I began to notice the other campsites around us with all the “cool” camping gear like outdoor “privacy tents”, flashy hammocks, and outdoor showers with hot water, etc., etc., etc.  The lesson here is - you don’t need everything to have a successful camping (or homeschooling) experience!  In fact, the basics served us quite well and even comfortably. 

Homeschool Tip: Stop looking at your neighbor’s campsite…or homeschool and enjoy your own.

3. What you forget doesn’t matter, it’s what you remember!  After fretting about all the details and packing everything I could imagine we would need… we inevitably forgot things.  There were “gaps” in our camping supplies.  They slept in 30 to 40 degree temperatures with nothing but sleeping bags between them and the cold, hard ground (we didn’t bring air mattresses).  They created entertainment for themselves (we didn’t have electricity) they walked, and ran, and swam and really engaged in the world around them.  They even survived several days without a shower!  My point is that your homeschool may have some “gaps” but, that doesn’t mean it’s not a success. What we forgot did NOT remotely diminish our experience and the memories we made. 

Homeschool Tip: Focus on what you have, not what you don’t.

After our memorable week camping, everyone agrees it was the best experience ever, and we are all looking forward to our next adventure!

Blessings,

Renita

Lessons from the Succulents

Recently, we discovered a hidden treasure in our own hometown. A succulent nursery filled with row after row of beautiful and unique succulents.

We were enthralled by each new tray of these intricate and varied plants, gleefully exclaiming over the colors and shapes, and delighting with each new plant we added them to our purchase wagon (yes…we needed a wagon!)

It got me thinking, “Do we marvel at the variety and uniqueness of each of these succulents, yet don’t recognize the variety and uniqueness of each of our children?” Stay with me here…it applies to your homeschool journey.

We start this homeschooling path with bright eyes and eager hearts, determined to grow our children in a well-tended greenhouse with a unique, customized education that will give them a “love of learning” for their lifetime. But all too often, we fall prey to the elements; the pressures, the comparisons, the lies, the fears and instead we can create a learning environment that looks far too similar to those in the local “garden center”.

Succulents are well designed to withstand the elements. They need very little to survive and even thrive; they are very hardy little plants. If you overwater succulents, they will die. If you underwater other types of plants, their leaves yellow, wilt and fall off. Different plants require different care. Our children’s education is much the same. They do not all require the same schedule, the same classes, the same path to graduation, or the same skills beyond. Who determines if how to diagram a sentence or how to hammer a nail is more important? How about learning Latin or mastering video editing? Should they study the principles of physics or the practices of entrepreneurship? Who determines if a 4-day school week or a 5-day schedule is better? YOU do. You are the keeper of this garden!

Each of my children has unique and different educational needs, so a one-size-fits-all education would never serve them. Some of them thrive with a schedule and a carefully organized plan – both for the day ahead and for their future. They complete every assignment diligently and tackle academic classes and college degrees with focus and determination.

Others are a bit more free-spirited and often prefer days spent exploring and experiencing the elements, rather than constant carefully crafted schedules. They look at life from different angles and see opportunities others may miss. They need time to use their hands and minds to create new things and purse innovative ideas. They seek out challenges with courage and excitement.

Each of these tender plants need my careful attention to continue to grow. This is how the gardener’s job works; you must customize the care to fit the needs of the plant. So why would we insist that our unique and varied children follow the same specific pattern for growth and learning?


These beautiful children are planted in your garden by the God who intentionally created them. He’s given you the honor of tending them as they grow. I encourage you to really study them, see their variety and uniqueness, and customize your “gardening” techniques for them to best help them thrive in the unique ways God has for them.


Blessings,

Renita

Close the Escape Hatch!

Let’s talk about high school for a minute (or two). Is homeschooling high school really worth it? Will I really be able to teach them all they need to know? I can answer this question - Absolutely YES!

 

When we began the homeschool journey 20 years ago, I never imagined that we would graduate them. I figured we’d take it “a year at a time” and wait and see how this homeschool experiment would play out. Several years in (with my first in about 6th or 7th grade) I listened to a favorite homeschool speaker talk about homeschool parents needing to “close the escape hatch” and commit to the long term. It really impacted me, and from that point I changed my perspective of homeschooling from “one year at a time” to “Graduation Day”.


I am so thankful I did! We have now graduated 4 of the 8, and I wouldn’t change a thing. All four have gone on to the college of their choosing, with plenty of scholarship money in hand. But, that is not why I want to encourage you to keep homeschooling through high school. I don’t want you to miss the opportunity these years hold!


The high school years are some of the best years of homeschooling. You have put in all the hard, seemingly endless days of teaching them to read, mastering the multiplication tables, and navigating the confusing maze of English grammar - WHY would you throw in the towel when school is finally getting to the good stuff?


High school is your last chance with them. These 4 short years are the prime time for you to press in, and really help them know and understand the Bible, to study Apologetics together (the reasons to believe the Christian faith), practice Communication skills (like writing and speaking) and open their eyes to the wonder of Creation through Science all around them! I know it’s tempting to fall prey to the fear of them missing out, your own insecurities, or the anxiety of comparison during these teen years. But I want to encourage you to “close the escape hatch” and really go for it!


Not only do you get to teach them the good stuff, but you get to enjoy these delightful creations that God blessed you with! In what seems to go by in a blink, they will be off on their own. Sure… high schoolers can be messy, loud, and careless at times. But, they are absolutely wonderful world changers with endless energy, creativity and new ideas. They are the leaders of your future as well. They are the businesspeople, doctors and nurses, craftspeople, and law makers for the next generation - and you have been given a gift of being the most powerful impact on them now!


I think of Esther from the Bible. Her upbringing by her uncle Mordecai was the foundation that she stood on when she approached the King and saved her people. I imagine that all those late-night conversations over pita bread and olives, chariot driving practice (or maybe donkey driving), and the endless reassurances that she really was created exactly the way the Lord designed her to be, became the internal narrative that gave her the courage to stand up for her people.


Too often I hear of homeschool parents who started the journey but gave up during high school. I want to encourage you to realize it’s truly the high school years that have the greatest impact on your homeschool journey. You were put on this path by the Lord, “for such a time as this”. Resist the peer pressure, ignore the lies, and press on to complete the race set before you!



Blessings,

Renita

Go Curriculum Commando!

It’s that time of year… the time when it’s way more enjoyable to look at all those sparkly, shiny NEW curriculum catalogs than to slog on through this year’s lesson plans to the blessed last-day-of-school finish line! 

Hello, my name is Renita, and I am a curriculum addict. I’ve been powerless over my addiction since the beginning of my homeschool journey. My poor children were subjected to continual curriculum testings and changes. I loved trying out all those educational promises so much that I wrote homeschool curriculum reviews for 12 years just to have an ongoing “fix” of new curriculum!


Those years of homeschooling, with the inflow of every type of curriculum imaginable, have given me some specialized training, insight and discernment. I have learned, with first-hand experience, what works and what doesn’t… for MY kiddos! That’s the catch, you will only need to know what works for the beautiful souls that the Lord has placed in your squadron for YOU to educate. You won’t need to know the BEST curriculum; you’ll only need the BEST curriculum for YOUR family.


It’s time for you to become a “Curriculum Commando”! Everyone tells you “Enjoy these years, they go by so fast…” I know it’s hard to believe when it feels like you’ve been teaching the same math lessons, spelling lists, and grammar rules for what seems like a decade. BUT it is true - you only have a short time with them to teach and train them in all they need to know. And, that’s why you need to have determination to accomplish your goals, courage to go your own way, an unselfish attitude, and a cheery smile in the face of adversity.


A Curriculum Commando needs to determination to accomplish the main objective. This is where many of us may falter. Do we know WHAT our children need to know in order to succeed in the mission the Lord has for them? We search frantically for the “perfect curriculum” that will meet all their needs and make sure there are no gaps. But truth is - there isn’t ONE WAY. There is only God’s plan for your child. You need to seek out the battle plan from your commander - FIRST. Then, keep your main objective in the forefront as you create your daily lesson plans.


Curriculum Commandos need courage. Just because your homeschool friends are all following a certain path, does NOT mean that path is right for you. Just because Susie is learning Latin and Jimmy can do trigonometry in 3rd grade, doesn’t mean that YOUR children need to do those subjects. Have the courage to say NO - even to the good things to make room for the great things God has in store for them. Have courage to refuse to fear “gaps” in their education. By the way, we all have gaps in our educations - shhh… don’t tell anyone, I have a college degree and I have NEVER taken a Physics class! (Funny... I help write science curriculum with my husband) Have the courage to customize, or even walk away from anything that doesn’t help accomplish your mission.


Are you willing to take the unselfish route? A Commando has to put aside their own desires and focus on the target. This is getting personal, but oftentimes I chose a certain curriculum or class to help make ME feel better about homeschooling. Can I be honest for a moment, the curriculum you choose is NOT about you. Have you considered your student’s learning style over your teaching style? Are you selfishly wanting them to succeed so that you feel like you have succeeded? Examine your motivations. The homeschooling path was all new to me, I went to public school, homeschooling wasn’t even legal in most states. SO, I really wanted to prove I could do this! But that’s not what the target is… the target is to help them become who God designed them to be. That means I need to have an unselfish approach that focuses on THEM and not ME!


Finally, Curriculum Commandos know that they are in charge, and they set the tone for their squadron. A cheerful attitude goes a long way to making this operation a memorable one! Can you smile and laugh at the future? Look for ways to bring joy into subjects and make learning together a delight! As I reflect over the past 20 years of homeschooling, it’s the joy and laughter that I remember most. The times we veered off the lesson plan and read all afternoon on the trampoline or spent time watching the eggs hatch in bird nest under our deck or made crazy projects (I bet there is still paper cache on our ceiling…) or had kitchen adventures trying to make authentic pilgrim meals complete with sour tasting “swill”. All those things brought joy, adventure and smiles into our learning. Make sure to laugh - it makes the journey sweeter!


So, as you search through all those shiny curriculum catalogs this spring, I encourage you to remember you are a “Curriculum Commando” and have a God-given mission to accomplish. You can do it!



Blessings,

Renita

Supersize or Downsize!

In today’s economic uncertainty, we are always looking for ways to save money. This isn’t another post about how to wash and re-use your plastic bags, or creative ways to stretch the food budget, although, those are great ideas.I’m talking about making INTENTIONAL choices to “downsize” your lifestyle and create some margin for better choices. 

Don and I recently made a HUGE family decision that involved downsizing our living space. In today’s world…this is a bit counter-cultural! We sold the 3,600 sq. ft. home and moved the 8 of us (7 of us plus a good friend that lives with us) into a cozy 1,600 sq. ft home. A pretty BIG downsize in personal space!


This downsizing has UPSIZED our budget’s ability to make choices that benefit us with our most valuable resource… our TIME TOGETHER!


Along the journey, plenty of other unexpected benefits have surfaced as well. The sweet sounds of everyone laughing together in the kitchen while making dinner and the cozy evenings spent together in the same room in front of the fireplace playing games. (There is a reassurance and comfort when my people are close by.) The closer living quarters have also become an invitation for everyone to venture more into the great outdoors (for peace and quiet!). And, we have become intentional about what is allowed to occupy our precious space - both physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I know, not everyone can make such a drastic “downsizing” decision. But, I think we can all take small steps in the right direction. The downsizing concept has really gotten me thinking of what else could benefit from taking an intentional step back, or a step down.


For instance - “Do we really want/need all the entertainment streaming options that have snuck into our family budget?” 

Maybe this could apply to our homeschooling choices too - “Do we really want an overstuffed curriculum package or a time-consuming co-op that dictates how we spend our days?”

What about the family schedule? “Do we want a SUPERSIZED schedule with different activities and outings every evening?” 

Can I encourage you to look into ONE area you could intentionally downsize and give yourself a bit more margin? I’m confident that the Lord has something even better to replace it with.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” James 1:5

Blessings,

Renita

Glad I Did!

I’m glad I did! I’m glad I chose to listen to the promises of the Lord and to choose to have my children. In this age, it’s a rare voice that tells you to “go ahead, have more kids”. The culture is loudly telling you, “Don’t, You Can’t, You Shouldn’t!”


We were walking along a path this week, with my 4 of my 8 children walking ahead.  I paused a moment and realized that if I had made a different choice… none of these children would be here! 


Can I gently remind you what the Lord says… “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 That’s right, they are a GIFT and a REWARD. That’s vastly different from the message around us that tells us they are a BURDEN and RESPONSIBILITY.


I didn’t start out a “Mom of Many” (I have 8 children; Don has 8 children - Yes - that’s 16!) I started out as a college-educated, independent-thinking woman with a future career all planned out…MY way. Thank God, he caught my attention and gave me with the “desires of my heart” before I even knew what they were, by blessing me with my children.

God wants to BLESS you with children, they are one of his best gifts. Have you ever told the Lord: 

"Don’t bless me with too much health - how would I handle it all?” 

or 

"

Nope God, that’s plenty of money, I’ve got my hands full!” 

NO way! We ask the Lord to abundantly bless us in so many areas, except by giving us children. 

Trust me, I wrestled with God in this area. I had to be completely transformed by HIM in my thinking. He used some Godly voices to teach me the truth and I’m praying HE does same for some of you. If you need encouragement – please feel free to contact me!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Get to Work!

I had my children memorize this poem when they were younger… Now, they are learning to live this poem!  

 

Having your children help you work is a lifetime benefit to them, and to you.  When they were younger, we lived in suburbia, and I had to manufacture “work” for them.  Daily chores, caring for the pets, raking leaves and a small backyard garden were about as strenuous as the work got.  Even those little glimpses of the value of “work” have paid off.  Now, we live on a tree-filled property and the “work” has expanded to include some real bone-tiring tasks.  Having a team is a HUGE blessing, not to mention, all those family memory-making moments we get to experience together, and the satisfaction of seeing a job well done! 

I truly believe God designed us to work, after all, he put Adam and Eve in a garden and gave it to them to tend and provided animals for them to care for.  It’s only after the Fall that work is cursed with “thorns”. 

I believe our children learn valuable life lessons when they get the opportunity to work alongside us.  All that working together also sweetens the playtimes we share together as well.  It’s worth the investment, the lessons learned will stick with them for a lifetime!

It's time to get to work!

Renita