CAT FEET STUDIO

Many of us have the new school year firmly tucked under our belts by now. Because we are a home schooling family, our school year fluctuates with our schedule. Of my three kids, two are completely grown up working full time in a university hospital as an RN and for a mortgage company, respectively. Our third child is seventeen, and working towards a high school graduation date sometime early in the spring of 2010. As a family our homeschooling days are almost over. The time has flown by in what seems like nanoseconds! If I'm honest, I'll tell you that I haven't enjoyed every minute of it. There were times that I wondered why in the world I even embarked on the home schooling journey and seasons that we put our kids into public school due to various circumstances in our lives and ministry. I would, however, do it all again if I had the chance. Sure, there are things I would do differently. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, but overall, our home schooling experience has been excellent, and I'm very proud of the people our kids are turning out to be.

Below is a copy of a piece I wrote some years ago for a friend. She was working on a book about home schooling (later published) and asked me to make a contribution to a chapter of testimonials she included.

If you had it to do over again, would you choose to homeschool?" Diane asked.

My older daughter Claressa shot a glance at me. She's 17 now, and preparing to study nursing at a university here in Liverpool where we pastor.

My friend Diane and her husband recently joined our ranks as new overseas missionaries. Unfamiliar with the foreign school system and concerned for their children's education, they chose to homeschool.

My three kids were the oldest in the crowd of fellow Americans gathered in my home that Thanksgiving Day, so I was deemed the ranking veteran homeschooler.

But I doubt that gives me authority. I know it gives me grey hair and a nervous tic, but authority? Me? Maybe by default!

These years of homeschooling have certainly seen their share of difficulty. I've dealt with my own insecurities. When struggles in discipline or mastering new concepts arose, and it seemed the kids just weren't "getting it," it opened a can of worms for me.
I'd be plagued with myriad questions: Am I a bad teacher? A bad mom? A bad wife? Can I switch hats from mom to wife to teacher without losing my mind? What about the housework? Can I really do this thing? Isn't there anything I can excel at?"

And the major recurring question: "God, where are You?"

Of course in retrospect I see He was right there beside me, leading me every step of the way. But as one question led to another, I became a great big lump of insecurity and - yes, I have to be honest - self-pity.

My husband and I decided to homeschool our children during their elementary years in order to give them a strong foundation. We wanted them to have solid academic skills such as reading phonetically and reciting multiplication tables in their sleep. We wanted plenty of time at home to instill Biblical values and truth into their young hearts and minds.
Homeschooling has been the greatest challenge of my life to date. But God is always faithful to help, and I know He didn't bring me this far to leave me.

These years at home have helped ready my children to enter into the individual destinies that God has prepared for them. Knowing that her children are equipped to do the will of God is the greatest joy and comfort there is for a mother this side of Heaven.

I've been challenged as wife, mom, and Christian woman beyond what I thought I could handle. But these years have been a wonderful time of growth and joy for us as a family, and for me individually. God, My loving Father, has carried me and taught me, just like a young child learning to take his first steps. He's shown me that He has all the strength and wisdom I need. He's made every resource of Heaven available to me.

That's the reason I'm able to teach my children how to learn.

I firmly believe that the fantastic, close, loving relationship we have with our children was made possible by the mutual investments we've made in each other's lives through homeschooling. That investment is possible because of the investment Jesus Himself has made in our lives.

As the eyes of my oldest daughter met mine, my friend's question was answered.

"Homeschooling, Mom, definitely homeschooling," Claressa replied without hesitation.

In that moment all my doubts faded into insignificance. What was really important became crystal clear. Our kids love God. They are bright, intelligent, already productive members of society. We've achieved our most important goals.  What more could a mom ask?

Yes, Diane," I said. "If I had it to do over again, I would choose to homeschool."