Home Education as a Way of Life

When we first started homeschooling I did it for safety reasons. We had found out that at the local elementary school the preteen girls were bringing guns to school and I didn't want to have to worry about something happening to her.

That was over 15 years ago.

But as the years passed our reasons for homeschooling have changed dramatically and now we are doing it to disciple our children and raise them up in the nurture and admonition in the Lord. Are they perfect? No, but the whole point is to direct their hearts toward God. The more hours in the day I have to do that, the more they get to learn about Him, His ways, and His desire for how they should live their lives.

Now looking back I only have one regret--that I was more intentional in the beginning. I really didn't know how to go about being consistent with teaching His word, I wasn't always motivated, and sometimes I would let academics get in the way of teaching what was really important. I lived and learned and made mistakes along the way, but in the end I have always gone back and resolved that the most important thing is that they have a relationship with the Lord. I always want to try to keep that in front of me because I realize that is all that really matters in the end.

And I want to ask you--

"What really matters in the end?" 

To me it is that my children would know and have a relationship God and that I would do all that I could to help them get there. 


Here is an inspiring  quote to challenge you if you are a home educator or thinking about becoming one:

 "Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges; it should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die."

  

– John Taylor Gatto