Our Choice to Home School

I write this blog because I am weary of answering the same questions to those who don't support or better yet, understand our choice to home school our children. My biggest concerns when first looking into home school was my ability to properly educate my children, I honestly had no idea it would become such a controversial subject with friends and family. I went into it blindly just assuming that they would support us in our decision, because knowing Jason and I, they would know that we would do nothing with out great prayer and petition to the Lord and loads of research to accompany our decision, but I was wrong on this assumption.

The most common complaint I receive is the topic of socialization....that I am going to ruin my children personalities...or turn them into social weirdo's. But is that a fair point? Yes, socialization is an argument for public school, but all to often our children receive negative socialization at school. It is not ideal and completely out of the parents control. My child who is only 5 and currently attending public school, has been exposed to so many things in school that I don't approve of. I know, I know....I can hear you saying...your children are going to be exposed to these things at some point in life. Yes, I agree, but I want to be in control of those situations...so that I can properly explain to my children how to handle them and deal with it. I am sparing my children from being faced with growing up way to fast and facing negative peer pressure on a daily basis by educating them at home. There are so many opportunities today for home school children to receive socialization in a healthy and safe environment. My children are active in our church, they participate on sports teams through out the year and currently my daughter attends gymnastics once a week. There are multiple other organizations to be involved in where our children have the opportunity to interact with other children and adults. To me the argument of socialization is void.

The second biggest argument I get is....your children won't be able to compete on a educational level with those children in public schools. All the research I have done and all the other families I have encourtered with home school children prove this argument untrue. In a home education environment there is a unique one-on-one type of tutoring, which produce better results than mass-produced education where there is one teacher to every 17 kids (in some cases more). The statistics favoring homeschoolers are overwhelming. Kids who have been taught at home don't just out perform their public school counter parts by small margins. They outdo the average public school kid by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects.

I am fully aware that home schooling will undoubtedly come with it's own set of challenges, but I am 100% confident in our decision that this is the right choice for our children. We will have the wonderful opportunity to incorporate our religious values into ever aspect of our childrens lives...this includes their education. Instead of this two areas being completely separate from one another. We will be able to enjoy a strong family bond of unity and strength. I will have the freedom to teach my children the truth on certain issues, that public schools teach falsely. Such as the topic of creationism vs. evolution. Instead of having to combat our families stance on this subject we will be able to teach our children the beautiful literal 6 day creation that is found in the Bible...our source of truth. Our family will have freedom to go on vacation, visit family, take a field trip, etc when we want and not have to conform to a strict 5 day week of school where our children spend more time at school than at home.

Homeschooling is a personal conviction for my husband and I. I do not look down upon those who do not find it the best way to educate their children. I can not be the judge of what is best for another family...I can only do what I feel God has laid out as best for my family. I ultimately am the only one responsible for how I raise my children. I want to be able to say, "It is well with my soul." And finally after many many months of prayer, deliberation, and research on the subject of home school I have come to a place where I am able to truly say "it is well with my soul."

Working on Her Scripture.

This is a video of Preslee working on her Scripture memory. We use the Truth and Grace Memory Book by Thomas K Ascol, with both our children and are so pleased with the results we are seeing. It teaches memory of Scripture and Catechism. It has been a blessing in our life and a great tool to help bring up our children in the Lord.

Amazing Grace

All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name

1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel's race,
ye ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.

3. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all.

4. Let every kindred, every tribe
on this terrestrial ball,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.

5. Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,
who from his altar call;
extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod,
and crown him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod,
and crown him Lord of all.

6. O that with yonder sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song,
and crown him Lord of all.

Maybe....

OK....I have decided to jump on the "blog wagon" LOL!!! I don't know how grand my blogs will be, but I promise they will always be filled with love, Christ, fun stories from the front lines of being a pastors wife, delightful tales of raising two children that are only 21 months apart, and the everlasting joy of being a believer in Jesus Christ!! Lets celebrate life together!!!