Curriculum Part 1
Dennis and I have had the heart to home school now for a few years. I have blogged previous regarding our hearts desire and how God brought us to the process of laying this part of our journey on our hearts.
Brooklyn is now in First Grade and entering our third year of schooling. We began in Preschool when she was almost 4. Just a very light schedule. Each year we have added a little more structure and taken more time to prepare and really set goals on what we as a family want to accomplish.
Our goal is not to produce children with double masters and P.H.D's, although if this is a goal of theirs we will support them. Our main goal is showing our children the absolute truths of God's Word.
Equipping our Children with our Lord and Saviors Truths so when they leave our home someday they aren't surprised at anything this world tries to throw at them. I smile every time I hear someone think we are isolating our children from society. This is absolutely incorrect. I have blogged about this previous too (Socialization and Homeschool) and eventually I will blog with even more of what Dennis and I think about how we as a family are choosing to raise our children regarding this aspect. We feel very strong about our Christian values for our children. Understanding biblical truths and helping our children have the heart to live their life for Jesus Christ. Being truly reborn in Christ.
I'm reading this book called, "Gospel-Powered Parenting - How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting" By: William P. Farley. In the first part of the book he writes,
"In other words, this book will assume that effective parents equip their children to overcome the world - not by changing and controlling their environment (things external to their children), but by going after their children's hearts. We change their hearts by teaching the gospel. The gospel, rightly understood and modeled, makes Christianity attractive. Effective parents make the gospel so attractive that the world cannot get a foothold in their children's heart."
"He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
1 John 4:4
Dennis and I aren't out to shelter our children but equip them with our Savior Jesus Christ. Home schooling for us right now is the choice we have both felt God calling us too. Doesn't mean that later in life our children may attend a school with many other kids, but for now this is our calling. Not attending a public or private school isn't going to equip children or protect them, or having them attend school equip them for the world. Only God can do this and one way is in how we parent our children. We want no compromise on worldly living but showing our children how much our Lord and Savior means to us. Showing them why we do what we do and directing them to God in all we say and in all that we do.
"Everyone who has been born of God
overcomes the world." 1 John 5:4