Worship and Church Service

One of Ellie's gifts is leading worship. She does this at church each Sunday for children's ministry and has had the opportunity to do it for Friday School Chapel with our homeschool group.

Friday school Chapel with one of her close friends

Sunday morning at church

Friday school Chapel again

Josh also has a ministry. He was asked to give an object lesson for the 1st through 3rd graders before they go in for their teaching. The object lesson is put together by a couple of ladies and emailed to us the week before. All the kids know him as "Teacher Josh." He was even recognized by a girl at Legoland who we found out is part of our homeschool group as well! Small world!

Thankful the kids have found a way to serve.

Ellie Enrolls at WCHS

Ellie will be a freshman in high school next year. We have decided that she will attend Western Christian High School part time. By taking two classes on campus she will have the opportunity to be involved in sports, plays, clubs, etc. 

The day we went for her interview, her name was on the screen to welcome her on campus. 

She signed her name on a banner declaring her enrolled in the school! 

We are excited to see how the Lord will use this experience in her life.

Natural History Museum February 2017

In February we took advantage of a Homeschool Day at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. We enjoyed the day with friends and checking out the "Becoming L.A." exhibit we hadn't seen before. 

Hall of Dinosaurs

Gems and Minerals

Discovery Center

Becoming L.A. Exhibit

One Day at a Time

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 

-1 Corinthians 15:58

As a homeschooling parent, do you ever wake up in the morning and want to run away and hide from your responsibilities? Last night's dishes, last week's laundry, and yesterday's school work all clamor for your attention. Your baby's cry reminds you of yet another need, and your young toddlers seek your affection and time for play. On top of that, your church is having difficulty finding help with Sunday school and the nursery, and you know you should offer your assistance. Exhausted before the day has even begun, you throw the covers back over your head and think, "Why would God give me all this responsibility? Doesn't He know I can't take care of everything? Where can I go to get away from all this work?"

When the pressure of obeying God's call seems too much or our rebellious nature takes over, it's tempting to look for the easy way out. Just ask Jonah. God had given him the task of prophesying to the wicked city of Nineveh, but Jonah disobeyed God. Hopping aboard a boat to Joppa, Jonah worked just as hard at running away and hiding from God's call as he would have worked if he had obeyed. Fortunately, God gave this reluctant prophet another chance to accept the job he had given. After being thrown overboard and spending three days in the belly of a big fish, Jonah decided that obeying God wasn't that bad, even if it was for a wicked city like Nineveh.

If the responsibility of facing another year of homeschooling is causing you to run and hide, be encouraged. Although you can't see the way through the work right now, the Lord promises to uphold you with His wisdom and strength when you need them (see Isaiah 41:10). As you obediently follow His will in homeschooling today, He continues to guide yo with the next step tomorrow. Step by step, day by day, you will get through the work and accomplish all He has planned for your homeschooling family. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you" (Psalm 32:8).

-Taken from Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 812

Fueling the Flame

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. -Psalm 51:12

Sadly, sometimes homeschool parents' passion for teaching their child begins to fade. The daily demands of caring for a household and the intense effort required in homeschooling drain even the most dedicated parent. When the homeschooling fire begins to die out, many may choose a halfhearted approach or adapt a martyr, make-it-through-the day mentality. Others may stop homeschooling altogether and send their child back into a traditional school setting. The wise homeschooling parent, however, will see the coals growing dim and find the fuel necessary to rekindle the flame of passion first given by God. But how does one go about finding that fuel?

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To reignite the vision of their child's education, the best thing worn-out homeschooling parents can do is ask the Holy Spirit to come and control their life anew. As parents deal with their own personal walk before the Lord, the time spent in self-examination and repentance will show areas in our character that need strengthening. Prideful attitudes are adjusted and total dependence on God's guidance is reestablished, allowing Him the right to reign over the entire homeschooling process. Most of all, the Holy Spirit is able to clearly reveal Satan's discouragement and remind us what was happening when the passion was last burning brightly.

Have trials and discouragement stolen your first love of homeschooling? "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them." (1 Timothy 4:15-16).
The fiery conviction you once felt for your child's education will die if you don't find the right fuel source to keep it on fire. Stay faithful to the call God has given and let the Holy Spirit lead and strengthen you today. As you read your Bible, memorize God's Word and pray for the Holy Spirit's wisdom, you'll be amazed as God provides everything you need to keep the home fires burning.

-Taken from Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 746

The Homeschooling Fight

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." -2 Timothy 4:7

Christian education is a spiritual battle that must be fought by every homeschooling parent. The desire to see our children raised according to the standards of God's Word requires more than wishful thinking. We must ever be alert to Satan's schemes and the world's ways that can suck our children into the mainstream of ungodly learning. We must be willing to risk popularity and acceptance to lead our children down an educational path that declares God is at the center of all things and the beginning of all creation. Most of all, we must declare our own love for Christ and be willing to crucify the flesh and its selfish desires to win our children's hearts to the Lord.

The great men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 are listed as our inspiration to hold fast to God's truths. Like Abraham, we must be willing to follow the Lord wherever He leads. Like Moses, we must be willing to give up the pleasures of life to serve a higher purpose. Like Rahab, we must have faith to believe what the Lord says is true. Like Noah, we must face opposition daily, even if it takes years to complete the task God has given. Like countless others who never saw the results of their faith, we must cling courageously to the future promise that God will bless the work of our hands in the lives of generations to come (see Psalms 112:2).

Are you feeling temptation to give up on homeschooling? Sending your children to school next fall may seem appealing, but if the Lord has led you to teach your children, pray for the courage and wisdom you need to stand firm and fight. Raising your children in the Lord is as much a spiritual battle as resisting temptations for yourself. Don't give in to the lies and harassment of those around you. Fight for the hearts and minds of your children and for the work God can do through their lives in winning countless souls to Christ.

-Taken from Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 720

Poor, Pitiful Me

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." -Psalm 118:1

Standing in the basement doing laundry, I wondered, "How much of your life do you sacrifice before there's nothing more to give?" I was missing a beautiful summer day outside and feeling frustrated that there was so little time for the things I enjoyed. I dreamed of relaxing in the sun with an ice-cold glass of lemonade and a good book or riding my horse into the open pastures near our ranch. Homeschooling seemed to be consuming my entire life, and each day I felt a little more drained. If I wasn't teaching my children, I was cleaning their messes. Would there ever be time again for me?

Self-pity is a destructive force in a person's life because it fails to acknowledge God's goodness with a grateful heart. The Hebrew nation's constant grumbling is a prime example (see Psalm 106:25). For over 470 years, they cried out to God for a deliverer to rescue them from bondage in Egypt. Although God had proven Himself mighty with miracles and provisions, they failed to be thankful for His loving hand of protection.

If the demands of homeschooling have got you down, stop your personal pity party and think again about what the Lord has done. Yes, your days might be busy, but God has blessed you with incredible opportunities to change the world through your children's lives. Let praise and thankfulness replace your "poor me's," and watch as God blesses your faithfulness in serving Him as a homeschooling parent. "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips" (Psalm 34:1).

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-Taken from Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 709

Homeschooling is for a season. For that season, we are making the choice to set aside our own desires in order to meet the needs of our children. Discipling and educating them is a great responsibility and deserves our greatest commitment and diligence. It isn't easy. It is work. It is sacrifice. But. it. is. worth. it! 

As with all things that are challenging, we must take "every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5) and choose to replace grumbling with gratitude. The final blessings will be rewarding for us personally and will please the Lord. 

Keep calm, homeschooling mom, and keep on!