When we began homeschooling in 2006, my children were excited about the time they then had to pursue their interests. Honestly, so was I! We made weekly trips to the library, we went on field trips with our homeschool group, we had play dates and park days, and we attended extra-curricular classes such as dance and wrestling. One of the things that my oldest two loved was to check out How to Draw books from the library. If you’ve ever found this section at the library with your child, you know that many books exist which cover how to draw cars, dinosaurs, puppies, horses, insects, people, comic book characters, and so much more! My children were enthralled with this new interest and pursued drawing with everything they had and as often as they could. This type of pursuit of learning is what I would call self-directed learning. Others may call it delight-directed, child-led, or even unschooling. In all of these cases, in my opinion, this is learning that the child pursues due to his or her interest rather than as a result of pressure or initiation by parents or teachers.
Over the years my children have continued to take an interest in art. They have studied math, science, music, sports, literature, and more. All have held their interest for some period of time, but none like the subject of art. Last fall we became involved with a local co-op and my two oldest finally took their first formal art classes. At the end of the school year, both of them were invited to join the Advanced Art Class beginning the next semester (currently ongoing) due to their skill and obvious love for drawing. They were ecstatic, and I was very pleased for them, as well!
You may be wondering why I’ve shared all of this with you. I simply want you to see what homeschooling can be!
Yes, there are academics involved.
Yes, some days are difficult, academically as well as spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
The truth and joy, though, is that children truly can enjoy learning. They can and will work hard to gain a skill they want to learn.
I have continued to encourage my children, if they really wanted to learn how to draw well, to keep trying. I employ this same thought process in other areas, too. Sometimes this helps motivate them to work towards a goal. At other times, they decide they really aren’t that interested and do not work as hard or pursue a topic very long. I believe that, overall, this has helped them to enjoy their homeschooling journey. We do have some ‘musts’ in our homeschool, but we are much more relaxed than we were at the beginning. The reason for that is because I have seen the learning take place, much of it aside from our ‘school’ assignments. Life is a wonderful teacher, and I am now watching my children reap the rewards.
My eldest daughter is now using the skills and knowledge she has gained through her pursuit of art, and is teaching younger children. She just held her first art class in our home today. I enjoyed watching her work with the girls, teaching them to enjoy the pursuit of art and to take pride in their work. Teaching this class is also allowing her to earn some money for her own expenses, including saving for a summer missions trip. She continues to learn through life, and benefit herself and others, even while teaching and pursuing one of her loves.
I encourage you to observe your children. What are the topics they are drawn to? What do they spend a lot of time talking about, playing with, and researching? Perhaps you could allow them extra time to learn more after their academic work is done, or possibly in place of it. Allow them to grow into self-directed learners. I believe you, and they, will enjoy it as much as we have!
Did you miss our previous How to Homeschool posts? I’ve linked them below for you!
How to Homeschool: Homeschooling Methods, Curriculum, and Resources
How to Homeschool: Homeschool Field Trips
This week we have linked up with The Homeschool Village. Click on the image below to go see what everyone else is sharing!
Thanks for stopping in. Come back and join us next week for our 2nd linky party!
Esther – Chapter 5:9
“Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet” (Esther 5:9a, NLT). His seemingly ever- increasing power starting from his promotion (chapter 3:1 and 2) to King Xerxes giving him his signet ring and carte blanche to do what he wanted with this “certain people” (chapter 3:10 and 11) to this intimate banquet with the king and queen (here in chapter 5:4 and 5), was feeding Haman’s pride big time. Not only that but Queen Esther had invited him to a second banquet! His hat didn’t fit his big head anymore, and his buttons were popping off his cloak from his puffed out chest as he walked out the king’s gate to go home for the night! Can you hear his evil cackle? Oh, I don’t like this guy!
“But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious” (Esther 5:9b). We already know from Esther chapter 3, that Haman planned to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. Now, when he saw Mordecai sitting there so peacefully with no regard for him at all, Haman almost exploded on the inside with indescribable hatred.
Mordecai “stood” his ground by sitting when Haman walked by. Mordecai knew Who he had to ultimately answer to, and it wasn’t Haman. Mordecai had full confidence in the Lord’s provision and protection. Confidence in God and the humility of obedience and submission to Him gave Mordecai a calm and peaceful presence that was like acid eating away at Haman. (Compare the similarities when Jesus “stood His ground” in His last hours, Matthew 26-27.)
Haman was so full of himself that he couldn’t see that his pedestal of pride had no foundation. One day it would come crashing down around him. As Matthew Henry’s Commentary would describe him: he is a self-admirer, a self-deceiver. Doesn’t he sound like someone else we know? Isaiah 14:13-14, “For you (Satan) say to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne about God’s stars…and be like the Most High.’” Satan’s plan is for the destruction of God’s creation. His pride is so great and his rage against God is so consuming that he intends to kill and destroy (John 10:10) everyone he can. But he has no foundation of truth. He has built his plan on pride and hatred. He and his plan will fall. Isaiah 14:15, “Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”
Matthew Henry’s Commentary also says: “A slight affront, which a humble man would scarcely notice, will torment a proud man , even to madness, and will mar all his comforts.” Haman was tormented by Mordecai’s affront, his intentional defiance. I believe Satan is tormented by our affronts when we stand against him and his evil plan to destroy us and our families.
We have two life examples to look at here. We have Haman who lived a very self-centered and prideful life. He deceived himself and he deceived others, especially the king, for very selfish motives. Then we have Mordecai, who was a humble man of faith and confidence. His motives were selfless as day after day he watched over and wisely advised Esther, even to the extent of sitting at the gate when “trouble” walked by.
Today we have the opportunity to check our motives for what we do and what we say. If our motives are based on feeding our pride and obtaining power over a person or a situation, we are self-deceived and insecure. If a small offense eats away at us, we will want to check our lives for underlying pride. A life controlled by pride will lead us to “destruction,” as we read in Proverbs 16:18.
If our motives are directed by our faith in God, then we will live selfless lives of submission and service. We will not be easily offended, and will forgive quickly. We will stand in humble confidence and peace, even as we “sit by the gate” when trouble tries to destroy us. (Ephesians 6:13.) We will have an inner assurance that God will show Himself mighty to save.
Who does your life look most like…Haman or Mordecai? Is it one of pride, torment, insecurity, fear, and eventual destruction? Or is it one of humility, peace, confidence, faith, and life? Today is your day to choose “life and have it to the full.”
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Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, we come humbly to Your throne of grace today. Even at this moment we are searching our innermost beings for areas of pride and deception. Help us, Holy Spirit, to find them so we can repent and allow You to cleanse us. We want our motives to be pure and selfless. Please help us to not be easily offended and to quickly forgive. May each of us live a life of humility, peace, confidence, and faith. Thank You for offering us life to the full! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.