Homeschool Memoir

Please join us today over atHSBA
They always do such a fabulous job, I'm sure this will be a fun meme to read and participate in.





This week’s theme is about sharing your 2008-09 homeschool agendas and plans. You’ve been preparing your plans for sometime and you’re ready to go. Or you’re still in the planning-stage and need some inspiration or tips on what to use. Because many use different curriculum and methods there is always something new to be gleaned from other homeschoolers. It’s always fun and interesting to see what other’s are using and the WWWWH as Robin Sampson suggests. So this week I hope you will share what you’re doing this year for your homeschool agenda. Share the different curriculum you’re using. You can also include what age/grade you’re using it for, how long you’ve been using it, and why you like it.

Please share a Bible verse that has encouraged you or inspired you during this planning-process, and how.


Hmmm... Agenda ... boy do I feel underqualified to write about that! I think this year I'm not quite with it. I could blame it on a few months of bedrest, and now a new baby plus toddler, school age and teenager, but I guess thats not really a viable excuse. Truthfully, I'm just not really a good planner. I often worry that this makes me a poor teacher. But I am trying. And I've found I really do like using the My Father's World (MFW) Curriculum. I love the God-centeredness and I love the parent/teacher manuels. I love that I can buy the essetials all from MFW online. Our whole purpose for schooling our kids at home is to give them a heart for God and for the nations, MFW does a great job at that!

We started using My Fathers World Curriculum curriculum 3 years ago, which is when I started homeschooling our second child. Unlike with his big sister we never thought about public schooling, we had found MFW and bought the Kindergarten curriculum, then the 1st grade, then he and his big sister did MFW's geography year titled "Exploring Countries and Cultures". In Jan we were supposed to start 3rd grade and 6th grade in MFW's "Creation to the Greeks" And we did begin it, but somewhere in all my Dr. appointments, hospital visits and bed rest we are only on week 10 in the lesson plan book. So I am laying aside my desire to "stay on track" with their public schooled and age/grade counter parts and we are picking up the books again and learning what God has for us to learn, at our own pace. I'm praying that as our new baby develops a little more schedule to her day we'll be able to pick up even more schooling. I do so much enjoy learning as a family.

As for a verse that has encouraged us or inspired us there are a few:

2 Peter 3:18 and Exodus 18:20

Blogger Friend School #18

For assignment #18 Nancy has asked us to "write something fun or just take a look back at our lives and what we wanted to do when we were so young! It'll be fun to read about what everyone thought they would be doing when they were young...did you ever think you'd be homeschooling? Add a verse to go with your assignment too please."
Well, I think at one time I swore I'd never have kids ... that seems comical now, because I can not even imagine my life with out my precious kiddos.

In elementary and Jr. High I dreamed a lot about being a pilot and working for NASA. I loved studying about planets and stars and space! I still do. A friend of mine and I attended Space Camp down in Huntsville Alabama twice (when we were in 6th grade and 8th grade, I think).

Over the years that dream gave way to Politics, Governments and stuff like that. My freshman year I was a Poli Sci major. And I still love that kind of stuff, too. But I could not imagine having to work in that world everyday. Somewhere during that year God did show me (or I finally listened long enough to hear), that his plan for me involved children and teaching. I changed my major to early childhood education and about 5 months later was in a car accident. I was taken to the emergency room, that is where we discovered I was pregnant with our first child. Can you imagine my poor hubby arriving at the ER, after being told his wife was in a car wreck. My first words to him: "Hi honey, I'm banged up a bit, but OK, they'll discharge me in a little while ... and half an hour ago in the process of a few blood tests they discovered I'm pregnant! Surprise! By the way, the officer on the scene thinks your truck is still drivable, just smashed in back"

Anyway, recovering from that accident kept me from attending that quarter of college, then morning sickness kept me from the next. And once I held that baby in my arms, well ... God's plan was obvious. I'm thrilled God saw the mother and homeschool teacher I could be. I remember the first homeschooling family we met, I was shocked that their kids did not "go" to school and I was sure I would NEVER do that! I think God must have a sense of humor.

For someone who said she'd never have children and then said she'd never homeschool ... here I am pregnant with baby #5 and we are not sure she'll be our last. And here we are in year 5 of homeschooling.

I used to joke that as soon as I had a "plan" or a "path" all figured out, God started throwing monkey wrenches into it :-) Now I realize that those things I had "all planned out" where things I planned without consulting Him, my creator, the One who knew what I was meant for, the one who knew why I was created in the first place. I was being a bit like a delicately hand made vase who insisted it was a kitchen knife. I just was not created for that. And it turns out when I live as I was created for I grow closer to my Creator ... what a wonderful life. Notice I said wonderful, not easy.

A few of the verses that God has used to teach me about this over the years:

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work
in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Acts 20:24:
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.