December 18, 2011 by admin.

Today, we had the privilege of visiting with veteran missionary, Terry McClure who is currently in the USA on furlough. He and his family minister to the people on the Islands of Palau in Micronesia- You need to Google that! :)  Bro. McClure has done a series of Bible studies that will help not only children, but adults as well. I am going to be posting bits and pieces of his studies (hopefully once a week!) to help generate some traffic to his site www.mcclureministries.com . The whole series on 36 lessons on CDRom is available for $30. It is well worth the price, I guarantee it. Please visit his site and for answers to your questions, please email Bro. Terry at terry@mcclureministries.com   So I’ll try and post the first lesson as soon as Christmas is done and get on a regular schedule to help all of us homeschoolers who lose our umph after the holidays! LOL

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November 10, 2011 by admin.

This is taken unashamedly from a good friend, Shannon Wells. Her blogs are SUCH a blessing! They can be found at www.oldtimechristian.blogspot.com 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

When I Grow Up, I want…

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Adults ask children this question all the time. I don’t know if it’s just that they have no idea what to talk to the kid about, or if they really want to know, but it is a common question. Grown-ups asked me that, when I was a young’un, too.

I remember answering like any other kid. I want to be a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, an astronaut, a writer, a teacher. The great thing about children, is they don’t think about the money they will make or what type of schooling it will take to achieve that goal. They just want to be it, whatever “it” is.

When I was about 6, 7 or 8 years old, I remember wanting to grow up to be just like my mom. Funny thing, is I see that same tendency in my own 6 year old. She mimics me, patterns her style of doing things after me, and I find myself wondering if she wants to be like me when she grows up. Fshew, that’s a scary thought. lol Faith and I procrastinate together, but when we finally get up and do what we’re supposed to do, we often start singing together. I’ll be washing dishes, while she is picking up her toys, and I’ll start a song. Before too long, she’s singing right along with me, and soon our chores are done. But, I digress.

I don’t think I thought seriously about what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was around 15 or so. I thought about it a lot, but there just didn’t seem to be much choice. On the one hand, folks would say I could be anything I wanted to be. On the other hand, folks would say I had to be realistic. Having dreams was one thing, but at some point I had to come down to earth and think about what I truly wanted. There were jobs that blind people just didn’t do, not because they were not smart enough but because it took sight to do those jobs. I was not, I was informed, ever going to be able to be an astronaut, a doctor, a nurse, a school bus driver, and I might as well get over it while I was still young. In my mind, that left only teaching.

After graduating high school, I did go to college, intending to be a teacher for the visually impaired, but both times i started school, I quit. Then, I got married, and for a time, being a house wife was enough. I went to a local vocational school for a year and received a certificate of completion for medical transcription, but no matter how hard I tried, I never got a job doing that. I did work for a time in Romney WV, preparing braille documents for mailing. After that, I worked at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland as a sewing machine operator. Then, I went to the school of hard knocks and learned what a selfish woman I really was. Or, put more plainly, I got pregnant and became a mom. lol

Now, with my 33rd birthday fast approaching, I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I want to graduate from medical school, so that I can have the know-how to diagnose my families’ illnesses and do something about them. I want to go get my driver’s license, so that I can give disabled folks a ride where ever they want to go. Finally, just for grins and giggles, I want to be an airplane pilot.

A couple of days ago, I took my 3 year old to the doctor. I KNEW she was sick. For a couple of nights she had had a fever. She was coughing, some and sneezing, occasionally. I didn’t know for sure, but I thought it was probably an ear infection. For one, her breath smelled funny, and when my girls’ breath smells like that, they need an antibiotic. Just for the record, I’ve only been wrong once. Sure enough, the doctor looked in to her ears and both were infected. She’s on an antibiotic. So, am I a doctor, sort of? Maybe. What about a teacher? I only have 2 students, but I’m teaching all the time. Faith is learning about word problems by counting how many bananas we have and then figuring out how many loaves of banana bread I could make with them. lol She’s learning to read, and that comes in handy when I need labels on canned foods read to me. So, am I a teacher? Why, yes I am.

As for the astronaut, lawyer and pilot, well, those will have to wait a while. lol My mom always said I’d make a good lawyer, because I like to argue. Ha! While at Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama, I learned that even if I could see, I’m too short to go in to space. As for flying, anybody out there game for taking me up in their plane?

Just for the record, people who are blind can do anything they set their mind to, even if that job requires sight. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. A few years ago, I read about a man who is blind graduating from medical school and earning his MD. Last year I read about a woman who is blind being a beautician. Several months ago, a man who is blind took his family for a drive around Daytona Speedway. He used technology created by the folks from the National Federation of the Blind and students from Virginia Tech, and drove around the track. They threw boxes in his way, someone even pulled out in front of him, and he and his family still live to tell the tale. I know a man who is blind, and he rides a bicycle without any sighted assistance. I have a friend who is blind, and she makes baskets and sews quilts. I have a friend on FaceBook who is blind, and she writes her impressions of WV ball games, and gets paid doing it.

Here’s a couple of things I’ve been pondering on. First of all, have I grown up to be what I wanted to be? Yes, I have. I’m an author, a singer, a song writer, a piano player, a wife, a mom, a crocheter, a baker, but more important, I am a Christian. Except for the writing and piano, I have grown up to be what I thought my mother was at that time. Second, have I achieved all that I wanted to achieve? No, I have not. Remember that plane? I wonder if it will be as I imagine, now that I have no sight at all. I used to want to feel it lift in to the air and be able to look out and see the sky. Of course, I can’t see the sky, but will it be as thrilling, anyway? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

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October 2, 2011 by admin.

 I should update everyone- and congratulate my daughter Sarah on her graduation!!!

It was a wonderful evening that I will never forget! Sarah sure made me proud with her speech and she even sang “God Makes No Mistakes”!  She looked so pretty in her yellow dress, too! Ah, my baby girl is DONE!!!  lol.  She’s not college bound and she’s not tech bound. She’s gonna be a wife and homeschoolin’ momma one day, so she’s in training :)  Sarah has never been an academic but she’s a very wise young lady. I think that’s worth more than any degree on earth.

I’ve been sufficiently chastised for not blogging, so I’ll try and do better. Does anyone have any ideas?  Anything you might want to hear discussed?

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October 3, 2010 by admin.

We recently visited the home of a friend of ours in Georgia. We usually stay at the guest house/prophet’s chamber that he has made available to traveling evangelists/singers, but due to circumstances, we weren’t able to stay with them this year. As we didn’t get to stay there, we did want to drop by and say ‘Hi’ and give him one of our new CD’s.

As we stood there in his driveway having some fellowship and catching up, we asked about the dogs he had last year; two adorable black lab puppies, Simon and Sampson. He said, “Well, I gave Simon to a neighbor who wanted him. My boy asked me why I did it, and I told him to consider something. Sampson is a good dog. He is obedient and doesn’t cause trouble, but Simon has a restless spirit.”

He explained that Simon liked to roam the road and he’s pretty road savvy. He will probably be okay for a good while. But as Sampson stayed home when Simon goes roaming, you could see him getting the same restless spirit and at times he roamed with Simon. Being a ‘good dog’, he didn’t have the same road savvy as Simon, and was likely to get killed out there on the highway where he didn’t belong. So he gave Simon away to save Sampson the possibility of being in danger.

He told his son to consider this as a lesson from the Lord. Have wisdom and consider that when he was likely to be tempted by other boys with a restless spirit to do things he shouldn’t do and go places out of his territory, that if he chooses to go, he’s likely to be hit and maybe killed.

Sometimes to protect someone we love, we need to separate from those ’bad dogs’ who are likely to get into (and get US into) trouble.

Proverbs has a lot to say about that - My son if sinners entice thee, consent thou not- comes to mind. J

I thought this lesson in wisdom was worth sharing. I hope the Lord blesses you with it!

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August 31, 2010 by admin.

Learning..

Today, we started our 15^th year of homeschooling. Boy, have I learned a lot! This is our New Year’s day, and has been for a long time, now. This is the time of year when things are new! The notebooks are fresh and the pencils are sharp. The curriculum is exciting! The crayons are gone now, but they used to be new. (I could chase a nostalgic rabbit right here, but I think I’ll keep that precious memory to myself for now. J ) This is the time of year when we resolve to do things better than last year…This year, we are (trying) to start some new habits, and (trying) to break some old ones.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but God can. J

One of the most uncomfortable and frustrating feelings in this life is when we are faced with our own failures and shortcomings. I think that is why children don’t like school. They are constantly bombarded with things they don’t know for nine months out of twelve! As parents/teachers, we look at things they need to know, and present the problem with (hopefully) smiles and expectations of greatness, often forgetting that this is new territory for our child. Lo and behold, just a few days later, we expect what we fed them to be spit out on the paper in the form of a test, and we are disappointed when we don’t get the results we expect. You just can’t hide that from your child, you know. Try as you might, they KNOW you are disappointed, and doubly, they are disappointed in themselves.

Thankfully, we can tie ties of love and acceptance with our children even though they (unintentionally) fall short of our expectations. As homeschoolers, especially, we have the opportunity to tell them over and over how much we appreciate their efforts and we can help them overcome those learning obstacles. We can let them know that they are not SUPPOSED to know all the things that they are faced with. That is why it is called LEARNING!

It’s also an opportunity to share Christ with your child! You see, ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try, we could never attain to God’s greatness or expectations. We just can’t. We are sinners! Our flesh inhibits us from ever having peace with God. The only way that can be accomplished is through faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood atonement made on Calvary.

Learning about this shortcoming isn’t comfortable for anyone - UNTIL they learn the test answers! I have a copy of the key! It’s called the Bible. The Bible says that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us. God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

He made a way for our salvation!

When we learn that, we have learned a great thing!

So, dear reader, as you start your academic venture this year, don’t forget to share Christ with your child. Don’t keep Him to yourself! Math, English, Social Studies, Science, History… none of those can compare to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and what He has provided for the REAL future- the eternal one!

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July 23, 2010 by admin.

Been thinking’ ‘bout…

A while back, a few years at least, I was instructed that reading a proverb a day (there are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs, and usually 31 days in the month) would be a helpful tool in guiding me in wisdom, judgment, justice and equity; to help me get what all women secretly desire- wisdom! (and understanding). I have tried to keep that a practice since, and I have found that in many ways, I begin to think like the Proverbs read.

For instance, when I feel lazy, inevitably, the Book of God will come to my mind - usually as I lay in bed -(Prov 26:14 as the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. -or- (Prov 22:13 The slothful man sayeth, there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. -or- (Prov. 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing. -or- (Prov. 6:6) Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

I just can’t get away with it lol J As a matter of fact, (although there are more) there are probably about 7 verses that deal with being lazy that come to my mind. I reckon that averages out to about one a day!

Now, those verses may not prompt you. Everyone is different. When I think about what things displease the Lord, Proverbs 6:16-19 usually come to mind

Pr 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

I’m thinking’ ’bout, I would like to be more diligent to know the state of my flocks. (Prov 27:23) I think it’s the OCD in me too. I NEED organization when I feel out of control. If I can’t organize, then I clean, and usually throw away clutter. Then I feel better for a while lol. My body was hurting so badly this time, though, that my wonderful, darling husband painted the living room for me! (You do not know how hard I am laughing at how absurd that sounds).

For the last week, I have felt like I was a machine. I have had a really bad episode of pain and Fibro-fog and I have not been on top of things the way I should be. Definitely NOT the Prov. 31 woman!! It’s getting a BIT better, although last night I forgot to turn off the crock pot after I took the crock out and set it on the stove to cool (no doubt so I could refrigerate it later) - but I also forgot to put the crock in the fridge. SO the crock-pot base was on, and the food was left out. I’m glad Ron stayed up a bit after I went to bed and kept my crock pot from burning itself up and supper from spoiling. L

Lately, I’ve been thinking’ ‘bout money. Last blog was about what money could and couldn’t buy. The Bible says the the LOVE of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10) You can love money whether or not you have money, by the way. I know folks who have money who are miserable thinking someone is out to cheat them out of it. I also know folks without money who spend up what they get trying to win the lottery!! (Prov 13:7) My thoughts are going a bit deeper than that. What I’ve been thinking’ ‘bout is how to better manage what we get.

I am eliciting help from one of my friends in SC (who shall remain nameless until she comments on this blog hehe) who has seven children - that’s 4 more than me, and they are much smaller- and keeps her grocery budget to the penny… I am ashamed to say that I have had a little sibling envy going on in my heart. I’m sorry, Sister. J But it’s a healthy envy! I want to LEARN how to do it. J Actually, after looking at her grocery list, I think I’m a frugal shopper, and I probably do just what I’m supposed to be doing… but I don’t write it down, and I’m not diligent to know just what I spend or where it goes. What’s that verse…be not slothful in business? (Rom 12:11)

Do we get brownie points for trying? Well, I don’t know if brownie points is the right way to put it, but yes, I think that the Lord takes our motives into account. (1 Cor 6 and 2 Cor 5) You see, I’m not trying to impress anyone but Him. I realize there are those who look at my life, just as I look at others, but when it comes down to the judgment, I will be standing before Jesus alone, and I sure want him to be pleased and know that I did all that I could do to be that Proverbs 31 woman. And I do realize, as we all should, that when we compare ourselves among ourselves, we are not wise ( 2 Cor 10:12) SO, I resolve to try harder and be more organized!

Anyhow, as I prayed this morning, I was thinking’ ‘bout our finances, and about an incident that happened yesterday that I’m trying not to be bitter about. “Lord, I’m not wanting to be rich. I just wanna pay the bills and not be beholden to anyone for any reason. Feed me with food convenient for me…(para Prov 30:7-9) So I won’t be thinking’ I did it on my own when I have a little, or I won’t question why you didn’t provide for me the way I thought I needed for you to, and resort to stealing and evil things if I don‘t have it. I would also like to give to those who need it. You like that attribute, and say that it is a wise person who gives and doesn’t hold back if you have it by you. Lord, I’d like to have it by me so I could give to someone who needs it. Give me this day, my daily bread, and forgive my debts as I forgive my debtors. And help me to know why I do what I do. ”

So I don’t pray in KJV? If you do, great! I know He heard me and that‘s what counts to me. J

Now, I’m thinking’ ‘bout making a chart or two to be more organized and know where my sheep are feeding hehe J

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May 18, 2010 by admin.

Once and Done - (Peggy Hoy 2007)

Chapters of our lives begin and close.

What is in the middle, God only knows.

If you look back, you can read it,

But life is something you can’t edit

Bitterness will turn you upside down;

Will turn your smile into a frown.

Your heart will lie- now that is a fact.

Once a deed’s done, there’s no going back

There is no record of greater disgrace

Than a hurtful word spoken in haste.

Before speaking or acting, count the cost,

And later you won’t have to count your loss

Remember our lives are like a book.

Every now and then, open, and take a look.

No erasers are given once you’ve begun,

For our lives are but once…and done.

When my husband and I started our life together, we had such big plans and dreams! I’m very thankful to say that after 20 years together, most of those plans have been fulfilled, and most of those dreams have come true. Not everyone can say that - what a blessing!

Now, along the way, as plans and dreams were fulfilled, we developed more. I have no doubt that if the world stands, He wants to bless us with the fulfillment of those expectations also. We should NEVER stop dreaming and planning and setting goals!

One deep-settled plan we had was to homeschool our children. I believe it was God’s plan according to his Word. Did we always have the money, resources and resilience to home school? In a word, no. Did God give us what we needed to make it work? Yes! There were times when money was tight and we had to scrape up enough for curriculum. There were times when we hodge-podged things together, and I despaired over the bright, colorful, more expensive materials. Sometimes I just wanted to quit because I did not think I was providing enough good things for my kids. I look back, and with thankful tears remember God’s goodness.

I look at today, and see Leah’s diligence in her AP classes combined with her SAT scores were enough to gain her 18 hours of college credits! Sarah will be finishing a year early and taking her GED next spring. Logan will be in ninth grade and working with his dad this summer learning his trade. He is growing into a strong young man with a great work ethic!

Who ever knew that counting pinto beans instead of using ‘real’ curriculum could do that?!Leah should be finishing her AA in Secondary Education around January 2011.God has given her a wonderful young man, and plans are that when she finishes, they will be married. Just recently, they closed on the property they are buying.

Sarah has also been given a fine young man who plans to be an accountant. My heart is overflowing right now, as I sit and listen to them playing the piano together!

Most of all, not only my girls, but these two young men love the Lord, and have plans to keep their homes Christ-centered. We have no doubt that whatever road they go down, the Lord has something great in store- and we also do not doubt that they will yield to God’s purpose when he shows them what he wants them to do!

Oh yes! These are good days! There were bad days, too. There were times when we failed with the kids. The training and teaching sessions we may have had for the right reasons were few and far between, instead they were mostly for the purpose of keeping our kids from being like other people’s kids! What GRACE can do! (I thank God for grace, and I’m ashamed to admit some of these things)

We failed in other areas, too, and when I recall the days when they were small, I am truly grateful to the angels God placed around my children to keep them safe, when I was lazy, unconcerned and (willfully) ignorant of the fact that Satan hated my children and wanted to kill them.

I know that sounds like strong words, but he is hateful and wicked- and he is our enemy! He would LOVE to have them even to this day. He wants YOUR kids, too. He wants to keep anyone he can from being saved, and loving and serving Jesus. Do not be deceived!

I have learned a few things over my years, and through my mistakes. That is one reason I started this blog. If I can help just ONE family make it through their children’s early years with some practical training helps; help ONE family decide to stick to home schooling because it’s the right thing to do according to the Bible; most of all, if ONE person gets saved because of our testimony and love for Christ - I will be truly happy.

What goodness I have received of the Lord! What a joy my teenagers are to me! What a blessing to have them all here with me safe and sound in body and mind - when they could be dead, in hell, or scarred and damaged from my neglect and selfishness!

My most earnest prayer is that I can finish well. I started well. I messed up some in the middle. I tried to correct my errors. I overcorrected some. I trusted God when I came to the end of myself. So when I come to the end of my children’s education, I hope I will have finished well. When I see them all standing at the altar with their beloved ones, I hope I have prepared them well. When I see the fruit of my labor, I want to have finished that last chapter well! And when Jesus opens the books to judge me, I want him to say…

“WELL done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou in to the joys of our Lord.”

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April 24, 2010 by admin.

Temptation and Opportunity

1 Corinthians 10:13 should be a verse that every man, woman and child should learn. I remember learning this verse many years ago as a Junior Sunday School student. It has been invaluable to me throughout my life, as it was hidden in there for future use. My Pastor is a very wise man, and explains it something like this:

Temptation is there, and has been since the day the two trees wereplanted in the Garden of Eden. The first couple did not have a trouble with them until temptation met opportunity. One can do pretty well if there is opportunity, but temptation is not near. One can do pretty well if temptation is near, but there is no opportunity. But woe to us all when they meet, if we do not heed the scriptures and take the door God has provided for us!

Now, most of us adults, when thinking about temptation immediately focus on sexual sins, but temptations are different for everyone.

For your child - yes, I said your child would be tempted. What? You don’t think your child would ever fall into sin through temptation? Another preacher friend of ours says, “Oh happy day in my life when I realized my child was a liar!” That sounds silly, you say. Not at all! It is a wonderful day in your life when you realize that your child is a real human being with real human attributes, and is not the angel you always thought he was!

You still don’t understand. Why, that’s when the Lord can begin working with your child’s heart!

Brother Paul says that he would never have known sin except that the law said not to covet. I am paraphrasing. J Your child will never know sin and never know a transgression of the law until the realization of good and evil dawns upon him/her. It is written in our hearts through our consciences at first, of course.

Here is our job as parents. Do not let that tender heart and conscience be seared by letting temptation and opportunity meet too many times in your child’s life. Be diligent! Be vigilant! The devil, as a roaring lion seeks YOUR child to devour him/her.

Scenario: The Easter holiday just passed, and many of you bought baskets of candy and toys for your children. Or maybe grandparents did that dirty deed for you! How many of you said… “Johnny, Susie, you may have one piece of candy right now, but no more.” ? How many Johnny’s and Susie’s tried to get more than one piece? How many of your children got one piece of candy, but then asked for another ten minutes later when you were on the phone? How many of them went and got another piece and you caught them at it?

Does this sound like a silly example of temptation to you? Well, dear Momma, you are deceived just like Mrs. Eve! For she saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eye and good for food, and she did eat! How many of your children had a situation that maybe went like this - Susie got a piece of candy and gave it to her brother, then told on him. “Mommy! Johnny is eating another piece of candy! Can I have one too? It’s not fair! He got two pieces!”

MY child would never do that. MY children have been trained better! MY children don’t even like candy! J Friend, don’t kid yourself. I see it all the time. I think it even happened at our house once or twice (wink) J . My point is- you have to get to the bottom of it. Do not let it go on and on with this and other situations! Sin doesn’t get smaller, it gets bigger. Heed my warning, even something as ‘cute’ as candy snitching is sin if they have been warned not to do it.

But don’t take my word for it! Learn from the scriptures! The greatest parent, God the Father, did not let Adam and Eve get away with what they had done, but punished them, and provided a covering for their sins.

Here is a novel idea. TELL Johnny and Susie that IF they eat more than one piece of candy, IF they sneak candy later, IF they do not follow the rules, the candy goes away- for good.

Oh, I can’t take away their candy!!! That is mean! That is harsh! That is cruel!

Adam and Eve were sentenced to death.

Adam and Eve lost their fellowship with their God and creator

Adam and Eve cast the whole world into a fallen state

God was not cruel. He was not mean or harsh. He was just.

You don’t think your kids will ever get any more candy? You think they will resent you for taking it? I guarantee you that they will see the error of their ways, and be better boys and girls next time…for there will be a next time! (Halloween is in October! J Just kidding.) Take the scriptures and show them the price for sin, and it will be one of the greatest things you have ever done as a parent, and SHOW them the way to get rid of that guilty feeling.

One temptation YOU have to fight is this - Do not tell them the penalty for sin and then not perform the judgment you said was coming. You will do much more harm than good that way.

Setting up training sessions for temptation and opportunity is a great idea. God does not tempt his children for evil, but he does for good. Example: Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah. Be sure that if you do training sessions you have thought them through. Otherwise, your children may see you as a hypocrite. You have to be consistent.

Or another thing you could do is hide the candy. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about temptation and opportunity meeting your child until he is sixteen or seventeen (and you drop your standards) and let them go out with a pretty young lady in your car.

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March 29, 2010 by admin.

It’s been said that if you fail to plan, plan to fail. This is so true. I also heard someone say recently, ‘Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency for me.’. This happened to be in a work-place environment, but I think it could be said for any situation. When we are in a place of leadership, we must be absolutely sure that whatever we expect out of our ‘subordinates’ we expect of ourselves. If you expect your child to be able to get out of bed, make it up, get dressed, wash his face and brush his teeth and hair, then you should be able to be ready for breakfast, devotions and school on top of your other daily morning routine. You are the superior. Where much is given, much is required.

Wow, I seem to be a cliché machine today! But I guess that’s okay, since they happen to be true. J

So how can you plan for a good school day?

Number one: Take time to pray. You are not the all-in-all, Jesus is. It’s His plan you are following, and not your own. A day without prayer is a failure from the beginning- every time.

Number two: Take time to plan. Forget thinking about what you want your child to learn through the whole year. That is not a day to day plan. That plan should have been done before the year started. No, this day to day plan should just be following this big plan. If you purchase a curriculum, this should not be a large problem. Most curriculums are pretty thorough with already set daily plans. Your job is to look at the plans before you start school! You could even take a few minutes before bed to look over the next day’s work and pray about it.

Number three: Don’t forget things like appointments or meetings that happen to interrupt your school week. When you fail to plan in things like that, you set yourself up for aggravation which filters down to your children. Make a list or keep a calendar. If your child has a quiz or test scheduled for the day you must be out, plan to give it before you leave or after you get home. You may even have to wait until the next day. By all means, do not expect too much out of your child in this area. They are just there to follow orders at this point. When they get older, in 8^th or 9^th grade, you may incorporate their thoughts into your plans, and even give them experience in planning the week.

To sum it all up, don’t fail to plan and your plans won’t fail to bring peace to your home schooling experience. Be flexible, but not malleable. Be structured, but not rigid. You shall succeed! J

One more thing, don’t limit planning to just school.  Plan for the future of your children in prayer and supplication to God to lead in every avenue of thier lives.  You’ll be glad you did! 

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March 12, 2010 by admin.

This is the time of year when homeschool assessments are being done. Consequently, this is the time of year when a lot of people who are debating about homeschooling start asking me questions. I would like to try and answer some of the more common questions here if possible for a reference to those whom I speak to. If you are like me, even though I’ve talked to someone, I like to have a written reference which I can go to if I forget something.

1. When do I send in my letter of intent? First of all, GOOD JOB in knowing that this is the first step to the legal process of homeschooling! Chances are, if you have gotten this far, you have already made up your mind to homeschool in the fall, and have been doing your own research. Letters of intent must be sent no later than two weeks before the first day of the school year. I don’t advise waiting that late. I do advise to send your letter Certified, especially in the first year you are homeschooling. Most of the time, we send in our letter with our children’s assessments. This year, however, I will have to send my letter separately because we chose the Portfolio option.

2. How should my child be assessed and when? First of all, WV law provides for three options for assessment. Option one is the WESTEST given at any public school. You must contact the school to order the test and arrange for testing. Most homeschoolers do not advise this option, for several reasons which I won’t get into at this time. Option two is to have your child take a standardized test such as the California Achievement Test, the Stanford Achievement Test, or the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The test can be no older than ten years old. Most Christian schools do one of these tests, and I can assure you, they know how old the tests are ;). They are held to the same standard testing procedures. Up until this year, (and only because we chose portfolio) we have had no problems getting a Christian school to allow us to come and test with them. Organizations such as CHEWV also offer testing options through them. Option three is the Portfolio option. With this option, you much have a certified teacher assess your child’s work that he has done throughout the year and send in an assessment form to the board of education. Contrary to some people’s belief, you do not have to send your child’s portfolio to the board of ed.

Any of these forms of assessment have to be at your county’s board of education by June 30. The testing ’window’ varies, but is usually between March 1 and April 3. I always send my assessments by proof of receipt or certified mail. Yes, it costs some money, but it is worth the peace of mind to know that what you had to get in by a deadline, actually got there!

3. How much time do we have to spend ‘doing school’? There is no set amount of hours, time or days to the homeschooling calendar, but every parent concerned about their child’s education will have an idea about how much they know their child can handle in one day. Sure, there’s going to have to be some seatwork done, that’s part of learning to do things we don’t like to do! J But let me stress that paperwork and testing do not a classroom make! We used to go shopping, and Leah would tell the cashier how much my bill was before they hit the total button! She was doing math all through the store. It impressed ME the first time she did it. I didn’t know she was adding it up…tax included! J Reading road signs and billboards are good reading practice, not to mention trips to the library! Museums and arts centers are wonderful homeschooling tools. Don’t lock yourself in a box with a set number of pages or videos to watch every day. When the sun shines go play! They are only children once. I guarantee that if you apply yourself to homeschooling, it will show on assessments.

4. What do I mean by the last statement? Do you mean they don’t have to sit and do ‘work’ on paper? Well, in a word, yes. Here are some examples: When they are very small, and you are playing at a park, count the rungs on the ladder to the slide! How many times can you swing? See that sea-saw? What is it? Why does it work that way? Sounds like physical science. J The slide is a ramp. How far can you throw a rock? How fast can you run? (that’s Phys Ed!) Get fancy and use a stopwatch, or teach them to count the second hand on an analog watch! How fast does your heart beat after you run? How do you think your blood travels through your body? You know I can go on and on and ON with this school day and have never picked up a pencil. What’s that bug in the grass? How about that leaf? Which tree did it come from? How are clouds made? Why is the SKY BLUE???

Does that sound daunting to you? Then, I’m sorry. You are not ready to homeschool.

If it sounds fun and exciting and makes you want to go now… well, what’s keeping you?

Homeschooling IS a walk in the park - IF you apply yourself. You don’t know the answers to those questions? Well then, chances are your kids won’t either, because as far as I know, Government schools don’t do that.

Does it make you want to learn those things, and put a longing in your heart to teach? Well, then I’d say you’re ready.

Now, I have dear friends who are not physically able to go to the park and play with their kids. They honestly cannot run, they can’t get active because of ailments. That doesn’t mean they can’t homeschool. I have friends with other special needs - I refuse to use the word handicaps because they are NOT handicapped. They can do some things better than someone without their issues! I encourage them to homeschool also. Why? Because I know what homeschooling IS and what it is NOT.

In a word, homeschooling is instilling a love of learning in your child that will last a lifetime. It is not a tedious, boring, mental anguish that makes everyone hate learning.

Nobody, (I mean nobody!) knows everything. The learning process continues long after the twelfth grade whether you know it or not. Think about it, how many things can you think of that you learned after you got out of school? So just because you can’t do some things does not mean you can’t teach other things.

The last bit of advice I would give is …ask for help. Other homeschoolers with a true heart for kids won’t put you down because you have a limiting quality that keeps you from doing something like going to the park! Maybe they will take your kids when they take their kids? Homeschoolers ARE social! J Then, maybe one day, you can teach their kids something. I kind of hate to use a cliché, but - We’re all in this together! It is invaluable to have a homeschooling friend to talk to.

It is invaluable to have your kids with you; to watch them grow and learn and BECOME a productive adult capable of handling life’s cold, hard facts in an extraordinary way.

Posted in standardized testing, friends, teachers, Q&A, portfolio, curriculum, homeschooling, hints, beginning, letter of intent, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »