March 28, 2024

What IS homeschooling, anyway?

www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com What IS homeschooling, anyway? #homeschool

Now that you know my story, and how our family came to homeschooling, you may be asking yourself this question.

What IS homeschooling, anyway?

Trust me, anyone who has ever considered taking this faith leap has asked themselves that question! The answer can be simple or quite complicated, and it depends on many things.

Are you new to homeschooling?

How many children are you homeschooling?

In which state are you living?

Is this a permanent decision, year-by-year, or definitely temporary?

What is your teaching and learning style?

What is your child’s learning style?

Does your child have a great interest in a certain topic or activity?

The definition

Are you ready for the basic, simple definition of homeschooling?

Homeschooling is the educating of a child by his or her parents.

Ready for the more complicated answer?

Homeschooling is:

Reading, baking, singing, playing, writing, building, creating, resting, thinking, gardening, swinging, digging, swimming, changing, committing, adjusting, listening, praying, following, obeying….to name just a few verbs. Notice how it is an active, living thing?

I posed this question in a couple Facebook groups of which I’m a part, as well. Below are some of the answers I received from mamas who are currently in the trenches of homeschooling!

“A learning lifestyle” ~ Inger from Hiding the Peas

taking personal responsibility for their [your child’s] educational outcome” ~ Amber from Adventure Hollow

“Living and learning WITH your children.” ~ Heather from Upside Down Homeschooling

“We think of homeschooling as learning together as a family, doing our best to equip and prepare our children for what God calls them to in career, family, and Great Commission.” ~ Tauna Meyer from Proverbial Homemaker

“Homeschooling is a lifestyle. It is not school at home, but rather a way we choose to live our life.” ~ Stephanie from Multi Taskin’ Mom

It is simply choosing to raise our children ourselves.” Cindy from Get Along Home

“It’s doing life together! Pouring the love of Jesus into them every moment and making him the center of all we do! “~ Jennifer from Godly Glimpses

“Homeschooling is the gift of nurturing relationships with your children, crafting learning opportunities to meet their needs, and blending life and learning together. ~ Anne from learning table

An opportunity for parents to be at the helm of providing intellectual, moral, social and spiritual instruction to their children by choosing to guide them through learning outside of traditional public, private and charter schools. ~ Martianne from Training Happy Hearts

“Homeschooling is about discipling our children the same way Jesus discipled his apostles — by being with them every day, talking with them, teaching, training, and setting the example.” ~ Marcy from Ben and Me

Here are some quotes from a few unschoolers, too:

“….my definition of homeschooling has grown over the years. I believe it is the original design for families. Children learn naturally from their parents through daily interaction, guidance, participation in the community in meaningful ways, and working through issues.” ~ Aadel from These Temporary Tents

“For our family, homeschooling is not defined as what we do. It’s just that we keep our kids home from school. I actually had a “Yes!” moment recently as I was flipping through David Guterson’s “Family Matters” and that he had written something very similar to the above sentiment. I had finally found something that made sense. What unites all homeschoolers, regardless of their educational philosophy, is that they have traded in the ideal of public education to keep their kids home and to educate them in a way that seems natural and makes sense to them. Homeschooling is about choosing something different for your family.” ~ Rebecca from Raven Threads

“I believe that parents owe it to our children to step out of that world and seek first, God and then seek freedom. Freedom to think for themselves without fear of rejection, freedom to learn the world outside the textbooks, freedom to feel the world…not just read about it. Freedom to become discovers again! ~ Margret

Tabitha, over at Meet Penny, also helped me out by polling her readers. Here are some of the answers she received:

“A method of educating the whole child.”

“Homeschooling is a lifestyle.”

“Homeschooling is providing my children with the best education I can for them to become happy, intelligent adults.”

“I am heart-schooling!”

Personally, I love that last one.

I may need to begin describing our homeschool that way. After all, it is the reason I began homeschooling. To capture their hearts, direct them toward Him!

Did these quotes give you a good picture of what homeschooling is? Of what it can be?

I look forward to digging deeper next week with Why would ANYONE choose to homeschool? I hope you’ll join me!

 

 

Girls With Swords: Chapter 14 – “Cross Carry” (pgs 209-210)

As we come to the final section of our book, we find a new word:  COMMISSIONED.  I looked it up for us so we would know what we were talking about.

COMMISSIONED

  •     The act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty.
  •     A group of people officially authorized to perform certain duties or functions.
  •     In Active Service.
  •     Authority to undertake or perform certain duties.

There are a couple of very powerful words hidden in the definition of this word.  In the first point, someone has the authority to grant certain powers or authority to another person to enable them to carry out a task or duty.  In the second point, there are a group of people who have been assigned this authorization – they have been commissioned.  In the fourth point, being commissioned means someone has the authority to undertake or perform assigned duties.

BUT, in the third point, someone who is commissioned is IN ACTIVE SERVICE.  Someone is not authorized to be in passive service, or absent service, or ‘when you want to’ service.  If you are commissioned, you are in ACTIVE service.

Throughout our study of “Girls With Swords” we have learned that we are CHOSEN.  We have been EQUIPPED and ARMED.  In this final week we are learning what it means to be COMMISSIONED by our Commander to enter Active Service.  Look with me at the words of Jesus as He prepares the remaining eleven disciples for ACTIVE SERVICE in His Kingdom.

JESUS Gives The Great COMMISSION

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Did you notice the action words in this passage?  Go, Baptize and Teach.  As commissioned disciples of Jesus, we have a JOB.  Jesus did not give us a job without teaching us how to carry out that job.  Look back at Matthew 16:24, Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  Again…more action words: Come, Deny, Take and Follow.

Jesus says “anyone” and that includes you and me.  We have the ability to accept His invitation to follow Him, to obey Him, to deny ourselves, and take up our cross.  Lisa says we each have a different cross because we are different people.  We each walk our own journey and need His help carrying our cross.

For us to be able to wear the King’s crown one day, we must learn to carry the cross.  Lisa says something pretty profound:

“We wear the crown, and we carry the cross.  Jesus bore our cross so we could wear his crown.  He became like us.  Isn’t it time we became like him?” (page 210)

So, what is OUR cross?  It is our part of the Kingdom.  We each have a job to do.  We are called into ACTIVE SERVICE because Jesus has the Authority to Commission us.  Jesus invites us to join Him in His work.  He has given us a job.  Will you participate actively?  Are you passive?  Are you still sitting on the bench waiting and watching other people carrying THEIR cross?

When I have a really big job to do, it bothers me to no end to see my kids sitting on the couch watching TV or painting their nails.  We all have a part to play in the proper function of our household.  If I am the only one working, I begin to have a bad attitude.  I imagine Jesus has felt the same way about us, don’t you?

Jesus has offered us the opportunity to come alongside Him and serve.  He has commissioned us Into Active Service.  We have a job that only we can do.  If you are sitting on the sidelines, someone else is doing your part and getting your blessing.  Your cross is not a ‘memorial’ or a symbol.  It is your active service to the KING.

Take up your cross, do your job, and be honored to lay your crown down at the feet of Jesus.  Let’s begin this last week together worshipping the King.  You have been chosen, equipped, trained, and commissioned.  Let’s make our Commander proud.

Let’s Pray:

Father God, King of Kings and LORD of our lives, we submit our will to You today.  Thank You for choosing us.  Thank You for Your care in training us and for Your belief in our ability to serve in Your Kingdom.  Thank You for Your Sword.  As we learn to use our Swords, we will be able to take up our cross daily and SERVE You.  We love You, Jesus.  You took our cross so that we might wear Your crown.  We lay our crowns at Your feet today.  We want to be ACTIVE warriors for You.   AMEN