I've been spending a lot of time in prayer in the middle of the night. The house is quiet then and my mind is settled enough that prayer comes more easily to me than it does during the day.
As I feel the baby moving in my womb, praise pours from my lips. A year ago I was pregnant, but I knew that something just wasn't quite right. After several doctor's appointments, my suspicions were confirmed. The pregnancy was not viable, yet I would have to wait nearly a month for that pregnancy to end. It was an agonizing experience, one I certainly wouldn't wish on anyone else.
According to my medical records, I'm of "advanced maternal age" and I am a "habitual aborter" (a term which I abhor, as I did not "choose" for four pregnancies to end prematurely). So this baby that is now in my womb is a miracle--God's miracle.
I have to admit that when I first found out I was pregnant with this child I was terrified. I convinced myself that I would miscarry again and according to my calculations based on past experiences, the miscarriage would take place right at Christmas time. And then every one's Christmas would be ruined. Misery upon misery.
I sat down one day in December to help the kids with their BSF lessons and I read this: After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Gen.15:15
The peace of the Lord overcame me. I knew that no matter what, whether or not I miscarried, the Lord would be my shield. He would protect me and walk with me through whatever lay ahead. Two days after Christmas, I had my first ultrasound. Matt and I wept when we saw the teeny tiny heartbeat of our child.
When I found out at my twenty week ultrasound that the Lord had blessed us with another boy, I knew almost immediately that I wanted to name him Joseph, which means "God shall add another son."
I waited several months for Matt to agree to the name. It wasn't that he didn't like it, it's just that he had lots of other names he liked as well. We both agreed that all of the Josephs in the Bible were exemplary men of God--stronghold men. From the Joseph of Genesis who declared, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Gen.50-19-21, to the ever obedient Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, to Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Jesus in his own newly hewn tomb.
So we finally agreed that Joseph should be this little one's name. His middle name will be Athanasius. Athanasius was an early Church father who unwaveringly insisted on the deity of Christ. Though Christ was fully human, He was also fully divine and is not a created being of the Father (a heresy of the day). This doctrine is crucial, for if Christ was not fully God, yet fully man, He could not have been the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Soon, should all go as we anticipate, Matt and I will be holding Joseph Athanasius in our arms, exactly one year after we found out about the loss of another little one who is now in the arms of Jesus. We are both in awe of what God has done. Truly, He is good.
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 5:9
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Projects, AKA Nesting
The last couple of months, Matt and I have been working on "his" and "hers" lists of household projects we'd like to get done before the baby comes. We've made quite a bit of headway on those projects, as well as a couple of others that popped up along the way.
Matt completed the shell of what will be a new shed in our backyard. He bought the parts of an old fireworks stand off of Craigslist and retrofitted them to make a small shed for gardening supplies and all the the kids' bicycles. He then roofed it. It still needs siding, a door and paint, but will function for its intended purpose as it is for awhile.
Another project Matt completed was the installation of a hand rail on our front porch. My mom has been bugging us to do this for several years. We found a hand rail we like on Etsy and had it shipped to us. When it arrived, the paint was damaged due to heat during transport. The business owner offered to replace it with a unpainted version or to refund us half of our money. We opted for the latter option. My mom loves the new rail and so do I. It's been well used in these last few weeks of pregnancy.
Matt replaced three ceiling lights in our front entry and down our hallway. A boy who shall remain nameless broke one of the lights about a year ago when he was testing a catapult with a marble. The bases of the original fixtures were covered in large drips of paint from a lazy-effort ceiling paint job done before we moved here. I looked for over a month at yard sales for new lights, but came up empty handed, so Matt and I went to Lowe's to look at their selection. I didn't like what they had to offer in our price range. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a yard sale down the road and found exactly three fixtures that the seller had taken out during her house remodel. Score! I found what I wanted for dirt cheap! You know me and bargains.
Matt also replaced the master bathroom exhaust fan. The old fan made a constant click-click-click-clicking noise when it was in use. It drove me nuts. The new fan is so quiet I sometimes have difficulty knowing whether or not it is on.
I repainted two exterior doors and five interior doors. Little boys and their toy weapons and shoes (kicking to get into rooms) leave a lot of marks and scratches on doors. Try as a might, this habit has been hard for the boys to break, but they are learning--finally. Mama doesn't like to repaint doors.
I also touched up the paint on the kitchen cabinets. This is a constant issue and really should be done every few months. I try to hit it once a year. Matt put new hardware on the two pull outs underneath the sink so that I'd have a place to hang kitchen towels. So handy!
I decluttered all round the house. The school room was my biggest project toward this effort. I worked for several days. I got rid of five boxes of duplicate and twaddle books and ancient used curricula, two bags of toys, a doll house and several bags of garbage. I also culled the bookshelves in the master bedroom, which is always a difficult task for me. I organized and decluttered several closets. The older girls have been bitten by the decluttering bug and have gone through their bedroom and dressing room. I've dropped so much stuff off at Goodwill that the guy recognizes me now. "Boy! You sure are busy!" Yeah, I'm pregnant.
We've tackled a lot of other tasks, too, but I'm most proud of the fact that Matt has repaired our refrigerator (which wouldn't hold its temperature), our washing machine (2 times--the drain kept getting clogged) and our dishwasher (it wouldn't stop running). These repairs have saved us a bunch of money and time we would have spent without the ability to use the appliances. Cause stuff can never break on a weekday. It has to break on Friday night after you've just had a birthday party for your sister and the dishes are stacked high on the kitchen counters and you have a big freezer cooking session planned for the next day.
Matt completed the shell of what will be a new shed in our backyard. He bought the parts of an old fireworks stand off of Craigslist and retrofitted them to make a small shed for gardening supplies and all the the kids' bicycles. He then roofed it. It still needs siding, a door and paint, but will function for its intended purpose as it is for awhile.
I repainted two exterior doors and five interior doors. Little boys and their toy weapons and shoes (kicking to get into rooms) leave a lot of marks and scratches on doors. Try as a might, this habit has been hard for the boys to break, but they are learning--finally. Mama doesn't like to repaint doors.
I also touched up the paint on the kitchen cabinets. This is a constant issue and really should be done every few months. I try to hit it once a year. Matt put new hardware on the two pull outs underneath the sink so that I'd have a place to hang kitchen towels. So handy!
We've tackled a lot of other tasks, too, but I'm most proud of the fact that Matt has repaired our refrigerator (which wouldn't hold its temperature), our washing machine (2 times--the drain kept getting clogged) and our dishwasher (it wouldn't stop running). These repairs have saved us a bunch of money and time we would have spent without the ability to use the appliances. Cause stuff can never break on a weekday. It has to break on Friday night after you've just had a birthday party for your sister and the dishes are stacked high on the kitchen counters and you have a big freezer cooking session planned for the next day.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Swimming Party
Our kids have taken swimming lessons every summer for the past ten years at the same swimming pool. It's a private pool, owned by a Christian couple. The class sizes are small. Our kids have all learned to swim well, which for safety reasons, is very important to Matt and me.
This year when I signed the kids up for lessons, the deck manager at the pool told me that she and the owner wanted to bless our family. She proposed a private swimming party, with short lessons, water games and free play. She wanted us to invite Matt's brother's family as well as his sister's family.
The much anticipated day of the party finally came. When we arrived at the pool, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Dianne were there. Apparently Grandpa Bob had already been in the pool, impressing the staff with his beautiful butterfly stroke.
Soon the pool was full of seventeen of the nineteen grandchildren (Matt's sister and her family weren't able to make it). The owner of the pool asked me if our families get together very often. I said that yes, my mother and father-in-law organize a big family dinner monthly so we see each other at least that often, sometimes more.
One of the staff members commented, "I can't imagine what Thanksgiving and Christmas are like!"
It was really neat to see all of the cousins swimming and playing together. We gathered everyone for a group picture before the party ended. We thanked the staff and owners for a fun time. We were blessed by their efforts.
This year when I signed the kids up for lessons, the deck manager at the pool told me that she and the owner wanted to bless our family. She proposed a private swimming party, with short lessons, water games and free play. She wanted us to invite Matt's brother's family as well as his sister's family.
The much anticipated day of the party finally came. When we arrived at the pool, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Dianne were there. Apparently Grandpa Bob had already been in the pool, impressing the staff with his beautiful butterfly stroke.
Soon the pool was full of seventeen of the nineteen grandchildren (Matt's sister and her family weren't able to make it). The owner of the pool asked me if our families get together very often. I said that yes, my mother and father-in-law organize a big family dinner monthly so we see each other at least that often, sometimes more.
One of the staff members commented, "I can't imagine what Thanksgiving and Christmas are like!"
It was really neat to see all of the cousins swimming and playing together. We gathered everyone for a group picture before the party ended. We thanked the staff and owners for a fun time. We were blessed by their efforts.
Lydia, Oh Lydia
Lydia is never one to sit back and watch life pass her by. She is always dreaming up some sort of project, science experiment or other mother-maddening mess which she desires to implement. If the project involves water or dye, all the better.
Lydia recently made her own printing press. She wrote and drew pictures on copy paper, then sprayed them with water, then "ironed" them with an old iron (I didn't allow her to plug it in). Next, she hung the wet papers over the wrought iron blanket rack in our family room to dry.
Several years ago, I bought an old puzzle booklet at the yard sale of a retiring teacher. Lydia found the puzzle booklet a few days ago in our school room coloring book box. I guess she enjoyed it so much, that she decided she should send away for a subscription to the now defunct magazine. No matter. Lydia found the little "how to subscribe" box on the front inside cover of the booklet, cut out the form and filled out the necessary information. She then put her one and only $1 bill along with the form inside an envelope.
She addressed the envelope with the "send to" address listed. BTW--I didn't teach her how to address envelopes, she figured it out by herself (she may still need a few pointers on the finer details). And to think I was so concerned about teaching this skill when I first started to homeschool. Lydia also put her own return address label and a stamp in the appropriate places on the envelope and then asked me to mail it for her.
When I told her that the magazine no longer existed, she was only slightly put out. She was already off to begin the next project that her imagination had conjured up. Lydia, oh Lydia. You wear me out.
Lydia recently made her own printing press. She wrote and drew pictures on copy paper, then sprayed them with water, then "ironed" them with an old iron (I didn't allow her to plug it in). Next, she hung the wet papers over the wrought iron blanket rack in our family room to dry.
Several years ago, I bought an old puzzle booklet at the yard sale of a retiring teacher. Lydia found the puzzle booklet a few days ago in our school room coloring book box. I guess she enjoyed it so much, that she decided she should send away for a subscription to the now defunct magazine. No matter. Lydia found the little "how to subscribe" box on the front inside cover of the booklet, cut out the form and filled out the necessary information. She then put her one and only $1 bill along with the form inside an envelope.
She addressed the envelope with the "send to" address listed. BTW--I didn't teach her how to address envelopes, she figured it out by herself (she may still need a few pointers on the finer details). And to think I was so concerned about teaching this skill when I first started to homeschool. Lydia also put her own return address label and a stamp in the appropriate places on the envelope and then asked me to mail it for her.
When I told her that the magazine no longer existed, she was only slightly put out. She was already off to begin the next project that her imagination had conjured up. Lydia, oh Lydia. You wear me out.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Grace's Summer Job
Grace has been working for a photographer who is a member of our church this summer. She's doing the usual go-fer type things, fetching equipment, holding reflectors, things like that. She's also filled in for a no show actress in a t.v. commercial. She's sewn bobby pins on a bride's veil just a short time before she walked down the aisle at one wedding and curled the groom's mother's hair at another. Grace has definitely been a jack of all trades.
The photographer allowed Grace to take a few pictures of the ceremony at the last wedding shoot she attended. Grace is getting a education about how photography works in today's world--from the technology involved, to the business end of things, to how to deal with people--all kinds of people.
This next year will be Grace's senior year and she'll have a full academic load, as well as a more involved piano schedule and a new baby brother, so we don't expect that she'll have a ton of extra time for working outside the home. However, this little job has been a fun, sometimes grueling, but also rewarding experience for her. She's tickled to have her own bank account, too.
As a side note, on the days that Grace has been gone all day working, Elizabeth has really stepped up to fill her shoes. She's done an awesome job of helping to keep the household running, as well as entertaining the little ones who miss their big sister when she's gone.
The photographer allowed Grace to take a few pictures of the ceremony at the last wedding shoot she attended. Grace is getting a education about how photography works in today's world--from the technology involved, to the business end of things, to how to deal with people--all kinds of people.
This next year will be Grace's senior year and she'll have a full academic load, as well as a more involved piano schedule and a new baby brother, so we don't expect that she'll have a ton of extra time for working outside the home. However, this little job has been a fun, sometimes grueling, but also rewarding experience for her. She's tickled to have her own bank account, too.
As a side note, on the days that Grace has been gone all day working, Elizabeth has really stepped up to fill her shoes. She's done an awesome job of helping to keep the household running, as well as entertaining the little ones who miss their big sister when she's gone.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Homeschooling: Finding Encouragement
Homeschooling can be a very lonely experience. A mom can feel very isolated when she's at home all day with little ones, unable to leave the house unless she has the energy to make Titanic proportion preparations in order to do so. I've been there, many, many times. Here are some of the things I've learned along the way.
I learned to "watch my heart." The Lord kept adding more children to our family (for which we were very happy), but my friends were outgrowing the "little years" with their children and thus had more freedom than I had. I felt even greater isolation as this began to happen. A few years ago a friend of mine who has ten children said to me, "You've got to watch your heart, Melissa. It's easy to become discontented when your friends are able to go on lunch dates or meet to play tennis or go shopping. I've been through that, but now those same friends are coming home to empty houses. My house is always full of kids, full of activity and full of laughter. It's great!"
I learned to find fellowship with others who are walking the same road. One piece of advice Matt and I have often gotten as we've searched out counsel on the issue of feeling isolated on our homeschool journey is to "find a church with like-minded families." These people are always shocked when we tell them we belong to a church where there are no other homeschoolers (although recently, one other family has begun to homeschool). Matt and I know that we were called to be members of our church. Our church has a private school connected with it and that's where many members send their children. It's a good school, it's just not God's plan for us. So where to find "like-minded" fellowship? I prayed for three years for the answer.
The answer, for us, came in a group of folks who meet monthly to worship and fellowship together. We're all homeschooling families, many (though not all) have large families and we love to get together. I've received so much wisdom and encouragement from the women in this group. Matt has received the same from the men. Our little kids absolutely love to play with all the other little ones. Our bigger kids enjoy having time to talk with other kids in their age brackets who are facing the same struggles, etc.
Matt and I have also received a ton of encouragement from attending our state homeschool conference every year. It's a hassle to get all of us ready for such a big trip. It's expensive (the gas, hotel, etc.), but very much worth every bit of hassle and expense. We get to meet with many other homeschooling families. Just seeing other families that are doing what we're doing is reassuring. In addition, the Lord has encouraged us along the way through the lectures and opportunities to talk to the speakers about homeschooling and how to parent in a way that honors God.
Some of these speakers include Brian Ray, Voddie Baucham, Doug Phillips and his wife Beall, Diana Waring, Stacy McDonald, Scott Brown, Ken Ham, Colin Gunn, Gregg Harris, Jobe and Jenna Dee Martin, Steve and Teri Maxwell, Kevin Swanson, Dr. S. M. Davis and Geoff and Victoria Botkin and their family. All of these folks are farther along in their homeschooling journeys, and many have already graduated their children. It's been good for Matt and I to receive their wisdom and perspective from their vantage point further down the road.
I learned to remind myself of God's promises. I read the book of Joshua the summer before we began homeschooling. God spoke to me through Joshua's meeting with the preincarnate Christ before he was to lead the Israelites in the battle of Jericho.
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none
came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” Joshua 5:13-13, 6:1-5
The Lord told Joshua, "I have given Jericho into your hand." In essence, the Lord was saying, "The battle is already done. The victory is Mine. All you have to do is walk out My plan."
The Lord so very clearly spoke to my heart and said, "This homeschooling thing is a done deal. I've already done it. All you have to is WALK IT OUT." Many, many times over the years, during seasons of discouragement, I've recalled these verses and received anew the comfort the Lord gave me before our homeschooling journey even began.
I learned to encourage other moms. I have had young moms confess to me how difficult life is for them. When you're sleep deprived and your days are a never ending stream of laundry, cooking, diaper changing and child training, it feels like you'll never get out of the cycle. I understand. I've been there and in many ways, I still am there. But I'm also beginning to see the other side. I'll never forget the day I was able to run to the store by myself for ten minutes to buy a jar of spaghetti sauce for dinner. The heavens opened and the Hallelujah Chorus played. I'm not kidding.
I've finally reached the point in my parenting journey where I'm reaping some of the fruit of those early years of endless work. The kids are now able to help their Dad and me with the workload around the house. I'm enjoying having kids that I can talk to on a more adult level. Often times they are able to generate a solution to a problem that I can't solve myself. And, for the first time in many years, my kitchen knives are always sharp because I have a son who loves to do that job. Oh the perks!
Matt and I bought a small children's table the other day off of Craigslist. When we got to the seller's house, she saw that I'm pregnant and asked if this is my first. Matt and I both laughed and told her it's our eighth. She said, "You are blessed! We had six children and now they're all gone. We miss all the noise and the cooking of the big meals. You are truly blessed!" We are blessed and we know that all too soon, we'll have children who will be leaving the nest and we'll long for the "good old days."
Related resources: the books: The Heart of Homeschooling by Christopher Klicka, A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris, Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell, Things We Wish We'd Known by Bill and Diana Waring and Parenting From the Heart by Marilyn Boyer.
I learned to "watch my heart." The Lord kept adding more children to our family (for which we were very happy), but my friends were outgrowing the "little years" with their children and thus had more freedom than I had. I felt even greater isolation as this began to happen. A few years ago a friend of mine who has ten children said to me, "You've got to watch your heart, Melissa. It's easy to become discontented when your friends are able to go on lunch dates or meet to play tennis or go shopping. I've been through that, but now those same friends are coming home to empty houses. My house is always full of kids, full of activity and full of laughter. It's great!"
I learned to find fellowship with others who are walking the same road. One piece of advice Matt and I have often gotten as we've searched out counsel on the issue of feeling isolated on our homeschool journey is to "find a church with like-minded families." These people are always shocked when we tell them we belong to a church where there are no other homeschoolers (although recently, one other family has begun to homeschool). Matt and I know that we were called to be members of our church. Our church has a private school connected with it and that's where many members send their children. It's a good school, it's just not God's plan for us. So where to find "like-minded" fellowship? I prayed for three years for the answer.
The answer, for us, came in a group of folks who meet monthly to worship and fellowship together. We're all homeschooling families, many (though not all) have large families and we love to get together. I've received so much wisdom and encouragement from the women in this group. Matt has received the same from the men. Our little kids absolutely love to play with all the other little ones. Our bigger kids enjoy having time to talk with other kids in their age brackets who are facing the same struggles, etc.
Matt and I have also received a ton of encouragement from attending our state homeschool conference every year. It's a hassle to get all of us ready for such a big trip. It's expensive (the gas, hotel, etc.), but very much worth every bit of hassle and expense. We get to meet with many other homeschooling families. Just seeing other families that are doing what we're doing is reassuring. In addition, the Lord has encouraged us along the way through the lectures and opportunities to talk to the speakers about homeschooling and how to parent in a way that honors God.
Some of these speakers include Brian Ray, Voddie Baucham, Doug Phillips and his wife Beall, Diana Waring, Stacy McDonald, Scott Brown, Ken Ham, Colin Gunn, Gregg Harris, Jobe and Jenna Dee Martin, Steve and Teri Maxwell, Kevin Swanson, Dr. S. M. Davis and Geoff and Victoria Botkin and their family. All of these folks are farther along in their homeschooling journeys, and many have already graduated their children. It's been good for Matt and I to receive their wisdom and perspective from their vantage point further down the road.
I learned to remind myself of God's promises. I read the book of Joshua the summer before we began homeschooling. God spoke to me through Joshua's meeting with the preincarnate Christ before he was to lead the Israelites in the battle of Jericho.
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none
came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” Joshua 5:13-13, 6:1-5
The Lord told Joshua, "I have given Jericho into your hand." In essence, the Lord was saying, "The battle is already done. The victory is Mine. All you have to do is walk out My plan."
The Lord so very clearly spoke to my heart and said, "This homeschooling thing is a done deal. I've already done it. All you have to is WALK IT OUT." Many, many times over the years, during seasons of discouragement, I've recalled these verses and received anew the comfort the Lord gave me before our homeschooling journey even began.
I learned to encourage other moms. I have had young moms confess to me how difficult life is for them. When you're sleep deprived and your days are a never ending stream of laundry, cooking, diaper changing and child training, it feels like you'll never get out of the cycle. I understand. I've been there and in many ways, I still am there. But I'm also beginning to see the other side. I'll never forget the day I was able to run to the store by myself for ten minutes to buy a jar of spaghetti sauce for dinner. The heavens opened and the Hallelujah Chorus played. I'm not kidding.
I've finally reached the point in my parenting journey where I'm reaping some of the fruit of those early years of endless work. The kids are now able to help their Dad and me with the workload around the house. I'm enjoying having kids that I can talk to on a more adult level. Often times they are able to generate a solution to a problem that I can't solve myself. And, for the first time in many years, my kitchen knives are always sharp because I have a son who loves to do that job. Oh the perks!
Matt and I bought a small children's table the other day off of Craigslist. When we got to the seller's house, she saw that I'm pregnant and asked if this is my first. Matt and I both laughed and told her it's our eighth. She said, "You are blessed! We had six children and now they're all gone. We miss all the noise and the cooking of the big meals. You are truly blessed!" We are blessed and we know that all too soon, we'll have children who will be leaving the nest and we'll long for the "good old days."
Related resources: the books: The Heart of Homeschooling by Christopher Klicka, A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris, Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell, Things We Wish We'd Known by Bill and Diana Waring and Parenting From the Heart by Marilyn Boyer.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Homeschooling: FAQs
After ten years of homeschooling, I still get asked the same questions.
What about socialization? The classic question. I've noticed that since homeschooling has gained more popularity and acceptance by the general public, I've had to field this question less and less over the years. Still, it does come up on occasion. Our new pediatrician asked Elizabeth about socialization a few weeks ago at her well check appointment. "Do you have friends outside of your family? Because that's really important." Of course, Elizabeth answered "yes", she does have friends. I refrained from giving the answer that popped into my head, "No, we keep her locked up in our house all of the time."
The classic counter question to the socialization question is this: "When in life will your child ever be in a situation where he is interacting with twenty five people of his exact same age all day, everyday?" Classrooms, for the sake of practicality, set up what is in essence a false construct of human interaction. It makes sense to do this in a classroom, but real life doesn't work this way.
Our kids are able to carry on conversations with a variety of people, from children who are younger than they are, to adults who are much, much older than they are. I think they're well socialized.
Personally, I love Voddie Baucham's answer to the socialization question. "Yeah, that's why we homeschool."
What curriculum do you use? I cringe when people ask me this question. To be fair, it was one of the questions I asked when we first started homeschooling. The truth is, it doesn't matter what curriculum is used. Across the board, no matter what method homeschool parents choose to use (whether it be Charlotte Mason, classical, relaxed, delight-directed, eclectic or traditional textbook), all methods are successful.
Each child, each mother, each family, each year in a family's life are different. I always tell moms, "You have to find what works for you and your family. As soon as you try to copy someone else and what they're doing, you're almost certainly going to fail." Ask me how I know.
God made each and every one of us perfectly unique. The beauty of homeschooling is that education can be tailored for each child and each family's circumstances, which is something that can't be done very well in a classroom setting.
The one curriculum I can whole heartedly recommend to everyone is the Bible. Tucking the Word into our children's hearts is of utmost importance.
Aren't you concerned that your children are too sheltered? Sheltered from what? Bullying? Trash talking? Knowing more things about adult subjects than I care for them to know? An unhealthy dependence on technology (cell phones, video games, Facebook, etc.)? Drugs? Alcohol? Sex? Guilty as charged.
Don't you think your kids should be in the public schools so that they can share the Gospel with their unsaved classmates? Well, I wouldn't send a soldier to the battlefield if he hadn't been to basic training. Matt and I have agreed that making sure our children are well grounded in Scripture is the most important job we have as parents. By the grace of God, we desire that our kids will be able to defend their faith when they are older (some are already getting there). The younger ones are not yet able to swim against the strong cultural current of our day by simultaneously standing for truth and maintaining their own innocence.
Aren't you worried about gaps in the kids' educations? My own sixteen year education had plenty of gaps. So did Matt's eighteen year education. What you don't know, you learn later. Learning should never stop. Our goal is to teach our children how to find the knowledge they need, not just regurgitate facts and figures.
Do you plan to homeschool them all the way through high school? Yep (with God's help, of course.)
Aren't you worried about teaching higher level subjects? I used to be. I'm not any more. The kids have a Daddy who is a wonder with math, science and computers. He helps me with curricula choices for these subjects and as well as with the school work itself. The kids also have a Grandma and Grandpa who help in these subject areas. In addition, independent homeschool co ops in our area offer a multitude of these courses, should we ever decide that outside help is warranted.
How do you do your homeschool planning day? The idea for our annual homeschool planning day came from Steve and Teri Maxwell. While they suggest a whole weekend to get away as a couple, I found this idea to be too difficult to implement in our family. Packing up all the school books and getting all the kids ready for a weekend away sounded like too much work to me. Instead, Grandma and Grandpa take the kids for an entire day so that Matt and I can be at home with all the curricula, internet access and interrupted time we need.
The days leading up to our homeschool planning day, I research different curricula online, go through what I already own and just do some overall thinking/ planning. As I do all of this, I keep that year's scores from the kids' assessments in mind, concentrating on weak areas that will need more attention in the year to come. I also think of character qualities I'd like to see developed in each child, as well as character weaknesses I'd like to see addressed (although this is a subject Matt and I talk about year round). I jot down thoughts in a notebook as they occur to me before the big day.
I lay all the curricula in piles on the dining room table, placing the child's name on the appropriate pile. I also lay out all the other stuff I'm considering in a TBD pile(s). I make notes of the items I don't have and need to order.
On the morning of the big day, Matt and I sit at the dining room table and begin with prayer, asking the Lord to give us wisdom in deciding what He would have us do for each of our children. I usually cry. Ten years into this homeschooling thing, I still get completely overwhelmed with the whole process. God meets me in that place. He is the One who provides the strength to persevere. (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
Matt and I then begin discussing plans for each child, starting with Grace, since she's the oldest and her homeschool planning is the most complicated. We go down the list through all the kids. We compare prices online and order what we need. We discuss our overarching family goals for the year, time in the Bible being the first and most important. This usually involves a culling process as we eliminate extra subjects or extra curricular activities for which we know we won't have the time. I've come to deeply value Matt's perspective during our homeschool planning day. He keeps me from getting hung up on the details and simplifies my sometimes way too complicated approach to homeschooling.
At the end of the day, we treat ourselves to a nice dinner out.
The next two are comments I get a lot, not questions.
"Boy, you sure must have a lot of patience. I could never homeschool my children. I just don't have that kind of patience." Actually, I'm the least patient person I know. Just ask my kids, they'll confirm it. I knew from the beginning that God had a lot more for me to learn through homeschooling than He did for my kids. This is one area in my life in which He's been working. I get frustrated. I don't understand why my kids can't memorize simple math facts. I don't understand why they can't get along with each other. I don't understand why they can't pick up after themselves. I don't understand why I have to deal with the same sins in them over and over again. Good thing God doesn't feel this way about me.
"I couldn't stand to be with my kids all day long. I don't know how you do it." I don't even respond to this comment when I get it. I simply don't know what to say. What a sad commentary when a mother, who has been given precious gifts from God, can't stand to be around her own children. It breaks my heart and I know it breaks God's heart.
I'm sure that even after I answer these questions about homeschooling, people still don't get it. They just think Matt and I are crazy. That's o.k. I'm getting very used to being weird. I'm not doing this for human accolades--they're aren't many to be had in this whole homeschooling thing anyway. I'm doing this for the One who desires to be glorified through this process.
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Gal. 6:9
Another point I'd like to make--homeschooling is not a formula for producing great kids. It's not a recipe to be followed with the finished product being a well-rounded, super academically (and in every other way successful), faith-filled, on fire for Jesus kid. This is God's work, not mine. The results will be His, not mine. I'm only responsible for being obedient to His call. Our kids are responsible for hearing and obeying God's call in their lives. And in end, God will work out all the details, covering over the mistakes Matt and I have made (or not, if it's His will) and all will be for our good and His glory.
Related resources: the books: The Three R's, You Can Teach Your Child Successfully and A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick, Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham and anything from Doorposts. I'm currently working through Hidden Treasures with the kids. The Learning Parent also has many wonderful resources on biblical character training. The cds, Curriculum Advice I and II by Victoria Botkin and this blog post about curriculum written by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.
What about socialization? The classic question. I've noticed that since homeschooling has gained more popularity and acceptance by the general public, I've had to field this question less and less over the years. Still, it does come up on occasion. Our new pediatrician asked Elizabeth about socialization a few weeks ago at her well check appointment. "Do you have friends outside of your family? Because that's really important." Of course, Elizabeth answered "yes", she does have friends. I refrained from giving the answer that popped into my head, "No, we keep her locked up in our house all of the time."
The classic counter question to the socialization question is this: "When in life will your child ever be in a situation where he is interacting with twenty five people of his exact same age all day, everyday?" Classrooms, for the sake of practicality, set up what is in essence a false construct of human interaction. It makes sense to do this in a classroom, but real life doesn't work this way.
Our kids are able to carry on conversations with a variety of people, from children who are younger than they are, to adults who are much, much older than they are. I think they're well socialized.
Personally, I love Voddie Baucham's answer to the socialization question. "Yeah, that's why we homeschool."
What curriculum do you use? I cringe when people ask me this question. To be fair, it was one of the questions I asked when we first started homeschooling. The truth is, it doesn't matter what curriculum is used. Across the board, no matter what method homeschool parents choose to use (whether it be Charlotte Mason, classical, relaxed, delight-directed, eclectic or traditional textbook), all methods are successful.
Each child, each mother, each family, each year in a family's life are different. I always tell moms, "You have to find what works for you and your family. As soon as you try to copy someone else and what they're doing, you're almost certainly going to fail." Ask me how I know.
God made each and every one of us perfectly unique. The beauty of homeschooling is that education can be tailored for each child and each family's circumstances, which is something that can't be done very well in a classroom setting.
The one curriculum I can whole heartedly recommend to everyone is the Bible. Tucking the Word into our children's hearts is of utmost importance.
Aren't you concerned that your children are too sheltered? Sheltered from what? Bullying? Trash talking? Knowing more things about adult subjects than I care for them to know? An unhealthy dependence on technology (cell phones, video games, Facebook, etc.)? Drugs? Alcohol? Sex? Guilty as charged.
Don't you think your kids should be in the public schools so that they can share the Gospel with their unsaved classmates? Well, I wouldn't send a soldier to the battlefield if he hadn't been to basic training. Matt and I have agreed that making sure our children are well grounded in Scripture is the most important job we have as parents. By the grace of God, we desire that our kids will be able to defend their faith when they are older (some are already getting there). The younger ones are not yet able to swim against the strong cultural current of our day by simultaneously standing for truth and maintaining their own innocence.
Aren't you worried about gaps in the kids' educations? My own sixteen year education had plenty of gaps. So did Matt's eighteen year education. What you don't know, you learn later. Learning should never stop. Our goal is to teach our children how to find the knowledge they need, not just regurgitate facts and figures.
Do you plan to homeschool them all the way through high school? Yep (with God's help, of course.)
Aren't you worried about teaching higher level subjects? I used to be. I'm not any more. The kids have a Daddy who is a wonder with math, science and computers. He helps me with curricula choices for these subjects and as well as with the school work itself. The kids also have a Grandma and Grandpa who help in these subject areas. In addition, independent homeschool co ops in our area offer a multitude of these courses, should we ever decide that outside help is warranted.
How do you do your homeschool planning day? The idea for our annual homeschool planning day came from Steve and Teri Maxwell. While they suggest a whole weekend to get away as a couple, I found this idea to be too difficult to implement in our family. Packing up all the school books and getting all the kids ready for a weekend away sounded like too much work to me. Instead, Grandma and Grandpa take the kids for an entire day so that Matt and I can be at home with all the curricula, internet access and interrupted time we need.
The days leading up to our homeschool planning day, I research different curricula online, go through what I already own and just do some overall thinking/ planning. As I do all of this, I keep that year's scores from the kids' assessments in mind, concentrating on weak areas that will need more attention in the year to come. I also think of character qualities I'd like to see developed in each child, as well as character weaknesses I'd like to see addressed (although this is a subject Matt and I talk about year round). I jot down thoughts in a notebook as they occur to me before the big day.
I lay all the curricula in piles on the dining room table, placing the child's name on the appropriate pile. I also lay out all the other stuff I'm considering in a TBD pile(s). I make notes of the items I don't have and need to order.
Matt and I then begin discussing plans for each child, starting with Grace, since she's the oldest and her homeschool planning is the most complicated. We go down the list through all the kids. We compare prices online and order what we need. We discuss our overarching family goals for the year, time in the Bible being the first and most important. This usually involves a culling process as we eliminate extra subjects or extra curricular activities for which we know we won't have the time. I've come to deeply value Matt's perspective during our homeschool planning day. He keeps me from getting hung up on the details and simplifies my sometimes way too complicated approach to homeschooling.
At the end of the day, we treat ourselves to a nice dinner out.
The next two are comments I get a lot, not questions.
"Boy, you sure must have a lot of patience. I could never homeschool my children. I just don't have that kind of patience." Actually, I'm the least patient person I know. Just ask my kids, they'll confirm it. I knew from the beginning that God had a lot more for me to learn through homeschooling than He did for my kids. This is one area in my life in which He's been working. I get frustrated. I don't understand why my kids can't memorize simple math facts. I don't understand why they can't get along with each other. I don't understand why they can't pick up after themselves. I don't understand why I have to deal with the same sins in them over and over again. Good thing God doesn't feel this way about me.
"I couldn't stand to be with my kids all day long. I don't know how you do it." I don't even respond to this comment when I get it. I simply don't know what to say. What a sad commentary when a mother, who has been given precious gifts from God, can't stand to be around her own children. It breaks my heart and I know it breaks God's heart.
I'm sure that even after I answer these questions about homeschooling, people still don't get it. They just think Matt and I are crazy. That's o.k. I'm getting very used to being weird. I'm not doing this for human accolades--they're aren't many to be had in this whole homeschooling thing anyway. I'm doing this for the One who desires to be glorified through this process.
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Gal. 6:9
Another point I'd like to make--homeschooling is not a formula for producing great kids. It's not a recipe to be followed with the finished product being a well-rounded, super academically (and in every other way successful), faith-filled, on fire for Jesus kid. This is God's work, not mine. The results will be His, not mine. I'm only responsible for being obedient to His call. Our kids are responsible for hearing and obeying God's call in their lives. And in end, God will work out all the details, covering over the mistakes Matt and I have made (or not, if it's His will) and all will be for our good and His glory.
Related resources: the books: The Three R's, You Can Teach Your Child Successfully and A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick, Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham and anything from Doorposts. I'm currently working through Hidden Treasures with the kids. The Learning Parent also has many wonderful resources on biblical character training. The cds, Curriculum Advice I and II by Victoria Botkin and this blog post about curriculum written by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Homeschooling: Why We Do It
The short answer to the question, "Why do we homeschool?" is simply this: God called us to do it. In my case, He called me as I was kicking and screaming. Matt was fully on board from the very beginning, although he really didn't understand (nor did I) what homeschooling really meant. One thing was clear to both of us from the start--the Lord would have far more to teach us than He would our children. After ten years of homeschooling, I can attest that this has most certainly been the case.
Our firstborn, Grace, had a good kindergarten teacher in public school. For my part, I felt very torn having Grace away from home for half of the day, not knowing exactly what she was doing or how she was doing. A kindergartner, even a very talkative one, can't really fill you in on all the details of her day at school, so I felt like I was missing out on part of Grace's life. Nevertheless, her kindergarten experience was a good one and the school was conveniently located a quarter mile away from our house.
So the next year, without much thought, Matt and I placed her in the first grade. That's just what one does when one's child is six and we were not at the point in our parenting journey where we questioned societal norms.
Before the school year started, I had my assigned meeting with Grace's teacher. I showed up at the appointed time. She went over the day's schedule, what subjects she would be covering with the kids, etc. I remember asking, "But when do you do art?" Her reply was quick. She said emphatically, "We don't have time for art! We have to get the kids ready for the big state test that they take in the third grade!" So "teaching to the test," even in the first grade was going to be an issue. That was a red flag for me, but I stuffed it.
During that same meeting, the dad of another student interrupted us. Keep in mind this meeting was at a certain time, meant for just Grace's teacher and me. Anyway, this man walked in and started demanding that the teacher tell him about his child's school day, etc. Apparently his ex-wife had been in earlier, at the appointed time, but since he wasn't present at that meeting, he wanted to have his own time with the teacher during what was to be my time with the teacher. Another red flag. Many of the kids in Grace's class would not come from intact homes and therefore would certainly be raised in a much different manner. I stuffed it.
Every night, Grace would come home with homework (busy work, I thought). She had scads of worksheets that had to be completed by the next school day. I thought, "Good grief. This kid is totally fried from being in school all day and now she has even more work to do." The breaking point for me on this particular issue came one night when I wanted to read a story to Grace. She broke down in tears and said, "Mom, I don't have time for a story! I have to finish my homework!"
At this point in our lives, Matt had a thirty minute commute to work. He listened to sermons and such during the drive as a way to redeem the time. I picked up a set of old cassette tapes from a thrift store for him one day. They were from James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program, recorded in the early 1980's. On one of those tapes, Dobson interviewed Dr. Raymond Moore, who is considered to be "the grandfather of homeschooling." In it, Moore discussed his educational philosophy of "better late than early." He explained how kids that started school later (eight years old or more), actually outperformed their peers. This was especially true of boys, he said. He advocated homeschooling, especially for the early years in a child's life.
Matt came home from work that night, threw the tape on the kitchen counter and said, "I wouldn't mind if you did this." My reaction? "NO WAY!"
However, over the course of the next few weeks, God planned that everywhere I turned, homeschooling would confront me. I used to listen to Focus on the Family in the mornings while I cleaned up the kitchen. Lo and behold, more than two decades after his interview with Dr. Moore, Dobson was interviewing someone else about the benefits of homeschooling.
My sister-in-law was leaning toward homeschooling her kids, so I asked her about it. She let me borrow the book Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring. This book turned my idea of the who, what, how and why of education on it's head. The Lord was getting a hold of my heart on the issue of homeschooling.
I had heard that our state would be holding a homeschool conference during the spring of Grace's first grade year, but at the time the internet wasn't very good and I couldn't get the information I needed to register for the conference. I attended a funeral not long after hitting this road block and a woman who had moved from our area and returned for the funeral handed my a piece of paper--right out of the blue-- and said, "There's going to be a homeschool conference soon. I thought you might want to register for it."
After that incident, I said, "O.K., Lord, I'm beginning to get the picture."
Then Satan, in classic style, began assailing me with arrows of doubt. "Maybe I didn't hear God correctly. Maybe He doesn't want us to homeschool." Then one day, Grace had an experience at school that cinched the deal.
I went to tuck Grace into bed and say night time prayers with her and she said, "I can't draw Jesus anymore in school." I asked, "Why?"
The teacher had handed April calendars to each of the children that day and had given them the assignment to draw a picture at the top. Grace drew a picture of an empty tomb.. The teacher completely overreacted when she saw the artwork and told Grace she wasn't allowed to draw such things. She was in error, of course, but I thought to myself, "and I'm going to have to deal with twelve years of this?"
That spring Matt and I did attend the homeschool conference. We had a chance to personally talk with Dr. Brian Ray, a researcher who publishes statistics on homeschooling and its benefits. We showed him the picture that Grace had drawn. Of course, he encouraged us to begin homeschooling her. When we last talked to Dr. Ray a few years ago, he said he still used Grace's picture in the lectures he gave around the country.
We came home from that conference and Matt wanted to pull Grace out of school right away. Had I been the person then that I am now, I would have agreed to it. As it was, I was very concerned about what people would think, especially our families, if we did such a thing, so I talked Matt into letting Grace finish out the year.
The following fall, the adventure began! I remember being so overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of the task at hand. I cried. A lot. I knew God wanted our family to homeschool and that He had great plans for us, but I was SCARED TO DEATH. I was right where God wanted me to be, in complete an utter dependence on Him. We took the leap of faith and the Lord has proven (and will continue to prove) His faithfulness to our family as we continue on this homeschooling journey.
Has it been easy? No. But what in life worth doing is ever easy? Has it been wonderful? Oh yes, it has. I haven't missed any of our kids' milestone moments. I've haven't missed any of the small things, from the cute things they say, to the way they look out for each other. I've experienced their moments of frustration, their light bulb moments, their asking of penetratingly deep questions about God and the world He created. The Lord has and will continue be glorified through this process. He is worthy to be praised!
Related Resources: The books: Home Educated and Now Adults by Dr. Brian Ray, Home Educating with Confidence by Rick and Marilyn Boyer, When You Rise Up by R.C. Sproul, Jr., and Homeschooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. The lecture given by Dr. Voddie Baucham entitled, "Why Homeschool? An Apologetic for Home Education."
Our firstborn, Grace, had a good kindergarten teacher in public school. For my part, I felt very torn having Grace away from home for half of the day, not knowing exactly what she was doing or how she was doing. A kindergartner, even a very talkative one, can't really fill you in on all the details of her day at school, so I felt like I was missing out on part of Grace's life. Nevertheless, her kindergarten experience was a good one and the school was conveniently located a quarter mile away from our house.
So the next year, without much thought, Matt and I placed her in the first grade. That's just what one does when one's child is six and we were not at the point in our parenting journey where we questioned societal norms.
Before the school year started, I had my assigned meeting with Grace's teacher. I showed up at the appointed time. She went over the day's schedule, what subjects she would be covering with the kids, etc. I remember asking, "But when do you do art?" Her reply was quick. She said emphatically, "We don't have time for art! We have to get the kids ready for the big state test that they take in the third grade!" So "teaching to the test," even in the first grade was going to be an issue. That was a red flag for me, but I stuffed it.
During that same meeting, the dad of another student interrupted us. Keep in mind this meeting was at a certain time, meant for just Grace's teacher and me. Anyway, this man walked in and started demanding that the teacher tell him about his child's school day, etc. Apparently his ex-wife had been in earlier, at the appointed time, but since he wasn't present at that meeting, he wanted to have his own time with the teacher during what was to be my time with the teacher. Another red flag. Many of the kids in Grace's class would not come from intact homes and therefore would certainly be raised in a much different manner. I stuffed it.
Every night, Grace would come home with homework (busy work, I thought). She had scads of worksheets that had to be completed by the next school day. I thought, "Good grief. This kid is totally fried from being in school all day and now she has even more work to do." The breaking point for me on this particular issue came one night when I wanted to read a story to Grace. She broke down in tears and said, "Mom, I don't have time for a story! I have to finish my homework!"
At this point in our lives, Matt had a thirty minute commute to work. He listened to sermons and such during the drive as a way to redeem the time. I picked up a set of old cassette tapes from a thrift store for him one day. They were from James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program, recorded in the early 1980's. On one of those tapes, Dobson interviewed Dr. Raymond Moore, who is considered to be "the grandfather of homeschooling." In it, Moore discussed his educational philosophy of "better late than early." He explained how kids that started school later (eight years old or more), actually outperformed their peers. This was especially true of boys, he said. He advocated homeschooling, especially for the early years in a child's life.
Matt came home from work that night, threw the tape on the kitchen counter and said, "I wouldn't mind if you did this." My reaction? "NO WAY!"
However, over the course of the next few weeks, God planned that everywhere I turned, homeschooling would confront me. I used to listen to Focus on the Family in the mornings while I cleaned up the kitchen. Lo and behold, more than two decades after his interview with Dr. Moore, Dobson was interviewing someone else about the benefits of homeschooling.
My sister-in-law was leaning toward homeschooling her kids, so I asked her about it. She let me borrow the book Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring. This book turned my idea of the who, what, how and why of education on it's head. The Lord was getting a hold of my heart on the issue of homeschooling.
I had heard that our state would be holding a homeschool conference during the spring of Grace's first grade year, but at the time the internet wasn't very good and I couldn't get the information I needed to register for the conference. I attended a funeral not long after hitting this road block and a woman who had moved from our area and returned for the funeral handed my a piece of paper--right out of the blue-- and said, "There's going to be a homeschool conference soon. I thought you might want to register for it."
After that incident, I said, "O.K., Lord, I'm beginning to get the picture."
Then Satan, in classic style, began assailing me with arrows of doubt. "Maybe I didn't hear God correctly. Maybe He doesn't want us to homeschool." Then one day, Grace had an experience at school that cinched the deal.
I went to tuck Grace into bed and say night time prayers with her and she said, "I can't draw Jesus anymore in school." I asked, "Why?"
The teacher had handed April calendars to each of the children that day and had given them the assignment to draw a picture at the top. Grace drew a picture of an empty tomb.. The teacher completely overreacted when she saw the artwork and told Grace she wasn't allowed to draw such things. She was in error, of course, but I thought to myself, "and I'm going to have to deal with twelve years of this?"
We came home from that conference and Matt wanted to pull Grace out of school right away. Had I been the person then that I am now, I would have agreed to it. As it was, I was very concerned about what people would think, especially our families, if we did such a thing, so I talked Matt into letting Grace finish out the year.
The following fall, the adventure began! I remember being so overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of the task at hand. I cried. A lot. I knew God wanted our family to homeschool and that He had great plans for us, but I was SCARED TO DEATH. I was right where God wanted me to be, in complete an utter dependence on Him. We took the leap of faith and the Lord has proven (and will continue to prove) His faithfulness to our family as we continue on this homeschooling journey.
Has it been easy? No. But what in life worth doing is ever easy? Has it been wonderful? Oh yes, it has. I haven't missed any of our kids' milestone moments. I've haven't missed any of the small things, from the cute things they say, to the way they look out for each other. I've experienced their moments of frustration, their light bulb moments, their asking of penetratingly deep questions about God and the world He created. The Lord has and will continue be glorified through this process. He is worthy to be praised!
Related Resources: The books: Home Educated and Now Adults by Dr. Brian Ray, Home Educating with Confidence by Rick and Marilyn Boyer, When You Rise Up by R.C. Sproul, Jr., and Homeschooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. The lecture given by Dr. Voddie Baucham entitled, "Why Homeschool? An Apologetic for Home Education."
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Farmer Paul
Paul spent last week with my Uncle Keith and Aunt Leanna. It was Paul's first time away from home alone for an extended period of time. He and Uncle Keith were constant companions as Paul learned a bit more about the vocation of farming, in which he as shown an interest.
Before Paul left to go to the farm, his Grandpa Bob asked him if he was packed. Paul said, "Well, I have my fishing pole." Lest he forget the unimportant stuff, I made sure that Paul also packed clean changes of clothes and his allergy medicine.
Paul was so busy during his stay with my aunt and uncle that he didn't have time to talk with his mom and dad on the phone. Every time we called to check on him, he was with Uncle Keith on the farm, or fishing at the local fishing hole. So Uncle Keith and I communicated by text most of the week.
A few hours after Paul arrived, he talked Uncle Keith into taking him fishing. Here's the picture Uncle Keith sent me with the caption, "A boy and his dreams!"
I texted back (through tears), "I miss him already."
"I know. We'll have the same thought when he leaves," Uncle Keith texted back.
The next evening, Uncle Keith sent the following picture with the caption, "Believe Paul is getting into this irrigation!" (It had been 102 degrees that day.)
Then this picture came through. "One picture worth a thousand words."
Then Uncle Keith, "Believe he's doing pretty well actually. He did a little tractor driving today. Zyrtec on the menu and appears to be working. Of course it might be the ice cream too!"
Then me, "Yes. He may need a friendly reminder to put on clean clothes." (I noticed in the picture that Paul was wearing the same clothes as the day before.)
"No problem. We change once a week whether we need to or not. Good honest sweat smells pretty good," Uncle Keith texted back.
Then me, "That's his motto."
The next afternoon, Uncle Keith sent me this picture:
He, Paul and Arie (the black lab) were at the local coffee house drive thru window. Paul had a fruity drink in hand and Arie was waiting for her treat. Apparently she gets a doggy biscuit every time she visits the coffee house. The caption for this picture read, "Yep. Farming's all work and no play."
The rest of our family joined Paul, Uncle Keith and Aunt Leanna on July 4th. We met at the local park for a community picnic BBQ. When Paul spotted Matt and me, he ran up to us and gave us each a big long hug. So our boy missed us after all. That evening, the kids had a blast with Pop-Its and Silly String.
I had a chance to take a break from my nesting projects to enjoy a few uninterrupted afternoon naps, to watch my kids swimming at the pool and to read an actual book. Yes, our family is seriously spoiled. We are grateful that Uncle Keith and Aunt Leanna are so willing to disrupt their lives (not to mention the farm work) when our family comes to visit. They are both gifts from God and we thank Him for them.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
'Dem Bones
Skirts: Avoiding the Pitfalls
Once I got past the "legalism" problem in wearing skirts, I faced another problem--I didn't want to look like the stereotypical homeschool mom, dressed in a jumper and wearing Keds.
When I was in high school, I was a real fashion hound. As I graduated from college, married and became a mother, my wardrobe became less and less a concern to me. However, in transitioning my wardrobe to skirts, I certainly did not want to look frumpy. Frumpy is not feminine and it is not flattering.
I am acutely aware, however, that I am now in my forties. As I read in French Women Don't Get Fat, it's ridiculous for aging women to try to keep up with the latest styles and trends. Classic looks, with your own body type in mind, are the name of the game. A few well chosen accessories should round out your outfits, although I've never been much of an accessories girl.
The first order of business I tackled when I changed my wardrobe was, obviously, the skirts. My usual tactic of finding clothes at Goodwill didn't prove to be nearly as fruitful in the skirt category. If I'd had been into the late eighties/early nineties pencil skirt look, I wouldn't have had a problem. Mini skirts can also be found in abundance at thrift stores, but not only are those skirts immodest, they just plain don't look good on a woman my age (especially one with varicose veins--thank you, Grandma Dorothy).
Occasionally, I do find skirts that are long enough with a more flattering A-line silhouette at thrift stores. Whenever the girls and I go thrifting, we always check the skirt racks, just in case. We have found some really nice things and when we do, we snap them up.
The girls and I have found buying skirts from retail stores to be more reliable. Some of our favorite places are Christopher and Banks, Style J and occasionally Land's End (although their skirts are getting shorter all of the time). We have had success with finding modest swimming suits through Land's End. I've also heard that Down East Basics and Shabby Apple are good places to find stylish, yet modest clothing.
Once we have our skirts, we build the rest of our wardrobes from thrift stores and garage sales. I'd rather have a nice shirt from Nordstrom, L.L Bean or The Loft purchased from Goodwill than some cheaply made item from Walmart.
My girls have faced yet another problem with skirt wearing. They want to look current in their clothes, not old fashioned. They do want to be more cutting edge than their mother, which is understandable. However, walking the line between modesty and fashion forward is difficult. Again, Daddy has the final say at our house. Elizabeth and Grace have their own styles. Each girl knows what looks flattering on her body type and they're getting to the point where they rarely need my advice when putting together outfits.
As far as making tops modest, we've found our best solution in wearing men's tank undershirts underneath our tops. Even for older women, most of the tops these days bear too much cleavage for our family's tastes. I buy the men's undershirts in one size smaller than what we normally wear. These solve the issue of low necklines as well as short hemlines. There are also some great camis on the market that we've found to be helpful, especially for nicer outfits.
Hollywood Fashion Tape is used regularly at our house to seal up gaps in blouses. I had no idea this stuff even existed until I inherited some from Matt's grandmother. It's awesome.
Pregnancy has added another twist to my skirt wearing journey. Most of the maternity skirts available now are mini skirts. There are maternity maxi skirts on the market, but I'm just not that trendy. I'm also not into the way knit fabrics show every well-earned flaw on my body.
My solution to this maternity dilemma came by way of my daughter, Grace. I grabbed an old pair of maternity jeans from our basement, a pair that I found to be comfortable and flattering (as far as that can go, at my age). Anyway, Grace ripped the jeans apart, added some denim and transformed them into a skirt. She then dyed the skirt (the jeans were the kind with the bleached out parts that bring emphasis to all the wrong places) in a dark denim dye. I also had Grace make the skirt extra long so as to cover a couple of nasty varicose veins (thank you, Grandma Dorothy). I have ordered two other maternity skirts (one from Deborah and Co. and one from New Creation Apparel), but I wear the skirt Grace gave me the most as it has a pocket for my cell phone.
Last year when I went to Texas for the Wisdom House conference, we studied the theme of clothing in the Bible. The conference focused on adorning the spirit, but Mrs. Mouser did discuss the clothing we wear on our bodies as well. She said that we don't need to dress like the folk in Little House on the Prairie in order to be modest. However, she said, there is a dearth of modest clothing available in our times. She suggested that we need godly women with an eye for fashion to begin designing modest clothing for the modern woman. I agree.
As a side note, I have been encouraged by what I'm seeing in the homeschooling community in the way of modest dress. The young women are wearing cute maxi dresses (pulled up high to avoid cleavage bearing) with open front shrugs (to cover the back and shoulders), chunky jewelry and wedge shoes. Very fashion forward, yet still modest.
The Lord did give women a desire to adorn themselves. Of course, as with any God-given desire, this can become idolatry. However, our family, as well as many others, have discovered that we don't have to cow tow to the culture's ideas of fashion in order to be fashionable, yet God-honoring women.
*I also wanted to make a note that in our family we don't adhere to skirt wearing to the degree that it interferes with our lives. Sometimes, it's just easier (and more modest) to wear jeans instead of a skirt. When we go to the farm, ride bikes, ride horses, or work in the yard, we don't wear skirts. When we walk or run for exercise, we wear comfortable work out clothes. When I volunteer in the children's program at BSF, I've found I'm better off wearing jeans as I'm down on the floor with the kids a lot. I know that at one point in history, women wearing pants was considered scandalous. I'm glad I'm not a woman living in that era.
When I was in high school, I was a real fashion hound. As I graduated from college, married and became a mother, my wardrobe became less and less a concern to me. However, in transitioning my wardrobe to skirts, I certainly did not want to look frumpy. Frumpy is not feminine and it is not flattering.
I am acutely aware, however, that I am now in my forties. As I read in French Women Don't Get Fat, it's ridiculous for aging women to try to keep up with the latest styles and trends. Classic looks, with your own body type in mind, are the name of the game. A few well chosen accessories should round out your outfits, although I've never been much of an accessories girl.
The first order of business I tackled when I changed my wardrobe was, obviously, the skirts. My usual tactic of finding clothes at Goodwill didn't prove to be nearly as fruitful in the skirt category. If I'd had been into the late eighties/early nineties pencil skirt look, I wouldn't have had a problem. Mini skirts can also be found in abundance at thrift stores, but not only are those skirts immodest, they just plain don't look good on a woman my age (especially one with varicose veins--thank you, Grandma Dorothy).
Occasionally, I do find skirts that are long enough with a more flattering A-line silhouette at thrift stores. Whenever the girls and I go thrifting, we always check the skirt racks, just in case. We have found some really nice things and when we do, we snap them up.
The girls and I have found buying skirts from retail stores to be more reliable. Some of our favorite places are Christopher and Banks, Style J and occasionally Land's End (although their skirts are getting shorter all of the time). We have had success with finding modest swimming suits through Land's End. I've also heard that Down East Basics and Shabby Apple are good places to find stylish, yet modest clothing.
Once we have our skirts, we build the rest of our wardrobes from thrift stores and garage sales. I'd rather have a nice shirt from Nordstrom, L.L Bean or The Loft purchased from Goodwill than some cheaply made item from Walmart.
My girls have faced yet another problem with skirt wearing. They want to look current in their clothes, not old fashioned. They do want to be more cutting edge than their mother, which is understandable. However, walking the line between modesty and fashion forward is difficult. Again, Daddy has the final say at our house. Elizabeth and Grace have their own styles. Each girl knows what looks flattering on her body type and they're getting to the point where they rarely need my advice when putting together outfits.
As far as making tops modest, we've found our best solution in wearing men's tank undershirts underneath our tops. Even for older women, most of the tops these days bear too much cleavage for our family's tastes. I buy the men's undershirts in one size smaller than what we normally wear. These solve the issue of low necklines as well as short hemlines. There are also some great camis on the market that we've found to be helpful, especially for nicer outfits.
Hollywood Fashion Tape is used regularly at our house to seal up gaps in blouses. I had no idea this stuff even existed until I inherited some from Matt's grandmother. It's awesome.
Pregnancy has added another twist to my skirt wearing journey. Most of the maternity skirts available now are mini skirts. There are maternity maxi skirts on the market, but I'm just not that trendy. I'm also not into the way knit fabrics show every well-earned flaw on my body.
My solution to this maternity dilemma came by way of my daughter, Grace. I grabbed an old pair of maternity jeans from our basement, a pair that I found to be comfortable and flattering (as far as that can go, at my age). Anyway, Grace ripped the jeans apart, added some denim and transformed them into a skirt. She then dyed the skirt (the jeans were the kind with the bleached out parts that bring emphasis to all the wrong places) in a dark denim dye. I also had Grace make the skirt extra long so as to cover a couple of nasty varicose veins (thank you, Grandma Dorothy). I have ordered two other maternity skirts (one from Deborah and Co. and one from New Creation Apparel), but I wear the skirt Grace gave me the most as it has a pocket for my cell phone.
Last year when I went to Texas for the Wisdom House conference, we studied the theme of clothing in the Bible. The conference focused on adorning the spirit, but Mrs. Mouser did discuss the clothing we wear on our bodies as well. She said that we don't need to dress like the folk in Little House on the Prairie in order to be modest. However, she said, there is a dearth of modest clothing available in our times. She suggested that we need godly women with an eye for fashion to begin designing modest clothing for the modern woman. I agree.
As a side note, I have been encouraged by what I'm seeing in the homeschooling community in the way of modest dress. The young women are wearing cute maxi dresses (pulled up high to avoid cleavage bearing) with open front shrugs (to cover the back and shoulders), chunky jewelry and wedge shoes. Very fashion forward, yet still modest.
The Lord did give women a desire to adorn themselves. Of course, as with any God-given desire, this can become idolatry. However, our family, as well as many others, have discovered that we don't have to cow tow to the culture's ideas of fashion in order to be fashionable, yet God-honoring women.
*I also wanted to make a note that in our family we don't adhere to skirt wearing to the degree that it interferes with our lives. Sometimes, it's just easier (and more modest) to wear jeans instead of a skirt. When we go to the farm, ride bikes, ride horses, or work in the yard, we don't wear skirts. When we walk or run for exercise, we wear comfortable work out clothes. When I volunteer in the children's program at BSF, I've found I'm better off wearing jeans as I'm down on the floor with the kids a lot. I know that at one point in history, women wearing pants was considered scandalous. I'm glad I'm not a woman living in that era.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Skirts & Why I Wear Them
I've been wearing mostly skirts for two years now. In some homeschooling circles, women who wear skirts exclusively is very common place. I didn't start wearing skirts because I wanted to follow their fashion trend. In fact, for several years I rejected the idea entirely because I didn't see the Biblical basis for it.
One argument that I've heard posited to support the wearing of skirts by women is found in the book of Deuteronomy. “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." Deut. 22:5. I believe this verse refers very specifically to cross dressing. God created humans to be male and female and He did not intend for them to bend their gender roles. To say that this verse means that women should be so distinctly feminine that they should only wear skirts is incorrect, in my opinion.
Another argument I've heard in defense of women wearing skirts is the fact that gender roles are blurred in our society and that the push toward egalitarianism affects the way people dress. I would agree that unisex clothing has become more and more popular in recent years. My own experience bears this out. For instance, when I go to Goodwill to look for clothes for my kids, I often find girls' clothes in the boys' clothing area and vice versa. It's darn hard to tell the difference sometimes. The argument goes that in order to make a very clear distinction between the sexes, it's a good idea for women to wear skirts. I respect this point of view, but have not adopted it for myself.
"Biblical femininity" is another often touted phrase in defense of wearing skirts. Skirt wearing is often equated with femininity. While I do believe that Biblical femininity is sorely lacking in our society and in the Church, I don't believe that the wearing of skirts achieves it. To be fair, the folks who set forth the vision of Biblical femininity in homeschooling circles are primarily concerned with the heart, not the outward appearance.
I don't believe that in order to be feminine, a woman must wear only skirts. In fact, some of the most feminine dressers I know do not wear skirts all of the time. My mother-in-law is one of them. On the other hand, I see plenty of women who dress sloppily and take little care for their appearance (hello, women who go to Walmart in their p.j.s) and who as a result, are most certainly not feminine.
The argument in defense of Biblical femininity goes hand in hand with the concept of modesty in much of the homeschooling community. The modesty bandwagon is one on which our family definitely rides. Today's clothing styles for both woman and girls (not just teens) are shrink wrapped, breast bearing and barely covering the derriere. These clothes simply aren't modest. Period.
Call me naive, but I didn't know how men think until I was in my mid thirties. Through the reading of several good books and by asking many questions of my husband, I began to understand. When men see women who are dressed immodestly, they "fill in the rest of the picture."
As our girls got older, our family's standards for their dress got higher. Matt didn't want men to see his daughters in an ungodly way, so we began discussing with the girls their fashion choices. The rule in our house regarding whether a piece of clothing is appropriate or inappropriate is simply this: Daddy decides. When we strive to wear modest clothing, our family is also expressing a genuine concern for our Christian brothers (and unbelieving men, for that matter). We don't want to cause men to be tempted to sin. As Jesus said, lust is a sin that is akin to adultery (Matt. 5:27-28). That said, we do believe that men themselves are responsible for their own sin, we just don't want to make it easy for them to fall into it.
Our girls started wearing skirts most of the time more than three years ago. This decision was made by them of their own accord, without the influence of either Matt or me. The benefit of their decision is that it has simplified the problem of deciding whether a piece of clothing is modest or not. Questions like, "Are these jeans too tight? Or too low-waisted?" simply don't come up at our house.
All of the reasons listed above and even the fact that my daughters wore skirts everyday, did not convince me to overhaul my own wardrobe. However, I did have an experience which began to change the way I thought about skirts. It was when my good friend and spiritual mentor, Jenny, passed away from cancer.
As I prepared for her funeral, I realized I didn't have anything appropriate to wear to the service. I was used to wearing slacks and cardigans to church every Sunday, but that was as dressy as my attire got. I didn't have any kind of a dress or skirt to wear to the funeral. I ran all over town looking for these items. It was last minute and it was stressful. I thought, "Here I am, frantically trying to find something to wear to a dead woman's funeral, yet I hardly give any thought to what I wear when I worship my Living King every Sunday." From that time on, I wore skirts to church every week. That was five years ago.
When I say that I've been wearing skirts almost everyday for two years, I do mean two years (actually a bit more now). For Matt's fortieth birthday, I gave him the gift of changing my wardrobe. I knew it would be one of the best gifts I could give him. Let me be very clear, Matt never once told me, asked me or even intimated to me that he'd prefer I wear skirts all of the time. However, he did compliment me profusely on Sunday mornings and told me how beautiful I looked. He liked it when I took the time to dress up, style my hair and put on some make up. It was a simple thing that I could do to please him, so why not do it everyday?
Still, my decision to start wearing skirts regularly was really hard for me. As usual, the old idol of "What will people think?" rooted its ugly head. I didn't want to be seen as a hypocrite. I knew of women who wore jeans everyday, but would show up for the homeschooling conference wearing a dress or skirt. For this reason, I had persisted in wearing jeans to the conference for years. I didn't want to pretend to be someone I wasn't.
I was also very concerned about being perceived as legalistic if I wore skirts all of the time. I've been on the wrong side of that kind of legalism enough times in my life that I didn't want any part of it. I sought counsel from a good friend and sister in the Lord (one who does not wear skirts exclusively). She said, "Melissa, you have freedom in Christ to do what it is He has put on your heart to do." That sealed it for me. A few days before Matt's birthday, I made the decision to wear skirts most all of the time and I had peace with it. Matt is not legalistic in regards to clothing practices (I've known men who are), he just likes to see me in skirts. So my primary reason for wearing skirts is for my husband.
My secondary reason for wearing skirts is to support my daughters. They have a desire to dress modestly and I want to reinforce their decision. To say that I plan to wear skirts for the rest of my life would be a stretch. I can't predict the future and I don't know what the Lord will have for me further down the road, but for now, I'm comfortable with my decision.
Resources I've found to be helpful on the subject of modesty are: the books, Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America and Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty. Michelle over at Liturgical Time wrote several excellent blog posts on the subject--find them here, here and here (be sure to follow the links in these posts--they are excellent as well.) Jessica Rey gave this short talk on The Evolution of the Swimsuit, which I thought was very good, too.
In my next post, I'll share a bit more about the pitfalls my girls and I have encountered on our skirt wearing journey and how we've tried to avoid them.
One argument that I've heard posited to support the wearing of skirts by women is found in the book of Deuteronomy. “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." Deut. 22:5. I believe this verse refers very specifically to cross dressing. God created humans to be male and female and He did not intend for them to bend their gender roles. To say that this verse means that women should be so distinctly feminine that they should only wear skirts is incorrect, in my opinion.
Another argument I've heard in defense of women wearing skirts is the fact that gender roles are blurred in our society and that the push toward egalitarianism affects the way people dress. I would agree that unisex clothing has become more and more popular in recent years. My own experience bears this out. For instance, when I go to Goodwill to look for clothes for my kids, I often find girls' clothes in the boys' clothing area and vice versa. It's darn hard to tell the difference sometimes. The argument goes that in order to make a very clear distinction between the sexes, it's a good idea for women to wear skirts. I respect this point of view, but have not adopted it for myself.
"Biblical femininity" is another often touted phrase in defense of wearing skirts. Skirt wearing is often equated with femininity. While I do believe that Biblical femininity is sorely lacking in our society and in the Church, I don't believe that the wearing of skirts achieves it. To be fair, the folks who set forth the vision of Biblical femininity in homeschooling circles are primarily concerned with the heart, not the outward appearance.
I don't believe that in order to be feminine, a woman must wear only skirts. In fact, some of the most feminine dressers I know do not wear skirts all of the time. My mother-in-law is one of them. On the other hand, I see plenty of women who dress sloppily and take little care for their appearance (hello, women who go to Walmart in their p.j.s) and who as a result, are most certainly not feminine.
The argument in defense of Biblical femininity goes hand in hand with the concept of modesty in much of the homeschooling community. The modesty bandwagon is one on which our family definitely rides. Today's clothing styles for both woman and girls (not just teens) are shrink wrapped, breast bearing and barely covering the derriere. These clothes simply aren't modest. Period.
Call me naive, but I didn't know how men think until I was in my mid thirties. Through the reading of several good books and by asking many questions of my husband, I began to understand. When men see women who are dressed immodestly, they "fill in the rest of the picture."
As our girls got older, our family's standards for their dress got higher. Matt didn't want men to see his daughters in an ungodly way, so we began discussing with the girls their fashion choices. The rule in our house regarding whether a piece of clothing is appropriate or inappropriate is simply this: Daddy decides. When we strive to wear modest clothing, our family is also expressing a genuine concern for our Christian brothers (and unbelieving men, for that matter). We don't want to cause men to be tempted to sin. As Jesus said, lust is a sin that is akin to adultery (Matt. 5:27-28). That said, we do believe that men themselves are responsible for their own sin, we just don't want to make it easy for them to fall into it.
Our girls started wearing skirts most of the time more than three years ago. This decision was made by them of their own accord, without the influence of either Matt or me. The benefit of their decision is that it has simplified the problem of deciding whether a piece of clothing is modest or not. Questions like, "Are these jeans too tight? Or too low-waisted?" simply don't come up at our house.
All of the reasons listed above and even the fact that my daughters wore skirts everyday, did not convince me to overhaul my own wardrobe. However, I did have an experience which began to change the way I thought about skirts. It was when my good friend and spiritual mentor, Jenny, passed away from cancer.
As I prepared for her funeral, I realized I didn't have anything appropriate to wear to the service. I was used to wearing slacks and cardigans to church every Sunday, but that was as dressy as my attire got. I didn't have any kind of a dress or skirt to wear to the funeral. I ran all over town looking for these items. It was last minute and it was stressful. I thought, "Here I am, frantically trying to find something to wear to a dead woman's funeral, yet I hardly give any thought to what I wear when I worship my Living King every Sunday." From that time on, I wore skirts to church every week. That was five years ago.
When I say that I've been wearing skirts almost everyday for two years, I do mean two years (actually a bit more now). For Matt's fortieth birthday, I gave him the gift of changing my wardrobe. I knew it would be one of the best gifts I could give him. Let me be very clear, Matt never once told me, asked me or even intimated to me that he'd prefer I wear skirts all of the time. However, he did compliment me profusely on Sunday mornings and told me how beautiful I looked. He liked it when I took the time to dress up, style my hair and put on some make up. It was a simple thing that I could do to please him, so why not do it everyday?
Still, my decision to start wearing skirts regularly was really hard for me. As usual, the old idol of "What will people think?" rooted its ugly head. I didn't want to be seen as a hypocrite. I knew of women who wore jeans everyday, but would show up for the homeschooling conference wearing a dress or skirt. For this reason, I had persisted in wearing jeans to the conference for years. I didn't want to pretend to be someone I wasn't.
I was also very concerned about being perceived as legalistic if I wore skirts all of the time. I've been on the wrong side of that kind of legalism enough times in my life that I didn't want any part of it. I sought counsel from a good friend and sister in the Lord (one who does not wear skirts exclusively). She said, "Melissa, you have freedom in Christ to do what it is He has put on your heart to do." That sealed it for me. A few days before Matt's birthday, I made the decision to wear skirts most all of the time and I had peace with it. Matt is not legalistic in regards to clothing practices (I've known men who are), he just likes to see me in skirts. So my primary reason for wearing skirts is for my husband.
My secondary reason for wearing skirts is to support my daughters. They have a desire to dress modestly and I want to reinforce their decision. To say that I plan to wear skirts for the rest of my life would be a stretch. I can't predict the future and I don't know what the Lord will have for me further down the road, but for now, I'm comfortable with my decision.
Resources I've found to be helpful on the subject of modesty are: the books, Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America and Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty. Michelle over at Liturgical Time wrote several excellent blog posts on the subject--find them here, here and here (be sure to follow the links in these posts--they are excellent as well.) Jessica Rey gave this short talk on The Evolution of the Swimsuit, which I thought was very good, too.
In my next post, I'll share a bit more about the pitfalls my girls and I have encountered on our skirt wearing journey and how we've tried to avoid them.
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