You don’t have to be qualified

I don’t know about you, but I have this overwhelming need to be perfect. I have a hard time not being critical about everything that I do. Especially when it comes to being a mom; and a homeschooling one at that. I was writing an ad for our newsletter not too long ago; it came out just recently and I read over the blurb I placed in there - God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

If I could remember just that, life would be good. He said that He would equip us for every good work. If my good work is to raise and train children for the glory of God, then He will equip me to do so.

Looking back over this first year of homeschooling and listening to all the hub for the new one approaching, I have learned much. It definitely is not an easy path to choose,  but it is one that God has dealt with my heart about and one I know He has placed me upon. So, with that in mind, I know that He will equip me to do that job. Last year, was the first time I taught my own child how to read, how to do his math facts, and how to write his own thoughts on paper. But that is not the big accomplishment in this life. It is not about the academics. With small children it’s about the heart, the attitude, the spirit. There was more for him to learn about God and what He expects from this little 6 year old, than there was to learn about the ABCs. Disciplining issues and training sessions were what took place most days. That is what God has commanded me to do. To train up my child in the ways of the Lord. I need to remind myself of that on days when I feel we didn’t “learn anything” academically, so it would seem.

Doing focused attention teaching was not the easiest some days, with little ones needing attention constantly. But I found that we didn’t have to do academics on any one else’s schedule, but what fit with our day. Being an active boy, I divided up his schooling into bite sized chunks. With the most focused time during nap time, when I could give him my undivided attention.

I have been wanting to do a more God-centered approach to our schooling; with more of a chronological line up of history and Bible woven together. I love the RC method that we utilized last year. I have found a few things that I want to add to it. I want the kids to be able to explore what they’re learning more on their own and to retain the information they absorb from their classic living books. So, I am going to try notebooking this year, as well as incorporating some of the Veritas Press classical education aspects - mostly the history and extra literature books. I am also looking forward to checking out the Institute for the Excellence in Writing program for my oldest 3. I am hoping to be able to connect their Bible-centered learning with our everyday life and how it applies to today. Making sure that they view their world from a biblical perspective I know will help them make decisions based on God’s truth, rather than the world’s “wisdom”.

At any rate, this is an encourage myself in the Lord post:) Once the baby gets here, and I have all our curriculum in order, I am hoping I won’t feel so disoriented and disconnceted.  Life is so much better with a schedule for me… though there is always the huge flexibility factor, I need a guide to my everyday schooling and every other wife/mother aspect to keep me sane. Hopefully, my next post will be about our newest little blessing:)