…Homeschooling was an area of growth for Cary and I as well, as it molded us into the mature adults we became. When you are confident and relaxed because the Lord is leading you, and you are fearless because of that confidence, you are willing to take risks, and try again and again when failure occurs. I don’t think we would ever have had the courage to move to a remote area, try our hand at farming as a second career, adopt children trans-racially, travel to foreign countries for short-term mission opportunities, or above all to shoot our arrows—our children—so far out into the vast world, if homeschooling hadn’t first taught us as parents to be confident and full of faith in the Lord’s leading.
In seeking the Lord every day for how to “train up” our children, my husband and I grew immensely in our faith. Our trust in the Lord grew, and we knew that He would watch over them and provide for their every need, as He kept us in prayer for their continued faith and physical safety. Besides, having your children with you every waking and sleeping hour for 18+ years is a great way for your children to know you so well that they can call to your attention every single personality flaw you possess, and then offer their good advice on how to correct your flaws, over and over again!
My kids amaze and inspire me. They are lifelong learners. They are very interesting people, having a wide variety of hobbies, passions, and skills. They are kind and loving. They are driven and relentless in pursuing goals. They are courageous and compassionate. They don’t let their fear of the unknown stop them from trying new and different things.
My children, young and grown alike, also take their abundant joy, and “the party,” with them wherever they go. When I began to homeschool my children, I wanted them to be culturally astute, academically high achieving, and faith driven. I didn’t know that the result would be that my children would become the adults I have the pleasure of choosing for my closest friends. Now that my best friend has gone to Heaven, I find that being with all my children is a bit of Heaven on earth for me.
Throughout the 19 years we have homeschooled nine of our eleven children from birth through high school, the most important thing we learned as their “parent teachers” was that curriculum didn’t matter – if they could learn to read and perform arithmetic, they would excel….