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Motivation Monday

Editor1 Comment

If the truths of the Bible are woven into practical life, they will bring the mind up from its earthliness and debasement. Those who are conversant with the Scriptures, will be found to be men and women who exert an elevating influence. In searching for the heaven-revealed truths, the Spirit of God is brought into close connection with the sincere searcher of the Scriptures. An understanding of the revealed will of God, enlarges the mind, expands, elevates, and endows it with new vigor, by bringing its faculties in contact with stupendous truths.

Christian Education, 106

Sabbath Playlist~ The Purpose, Privilege and Principles of Homeschooling

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Considering homeschooling for the very first time?  Thinking about what homeschooling can mean for your household?  What main goal should parents be striving towards when homeschooling?  Tom and Alane Waters of Restoration International inspire and encourage in a  past talk that reminds us that Christian homeschooling is much more than just choosing curriculum.   The link below takes you to their talk hosted on Audioverse.

Click HERE for The Purpose, Privilege and Purpose of Homeschooling

 

An Uncertain Sound…

~MelissaLeave a comment

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” 1 Corinthians 14:8

My heart was drawn to this text this morning. While in context, this portion is speaking about speaking in tongues, I was drawn in my thinking to look at the battle ahead. My thoughts went to the three angels’ messages and how if we are not prepared, how will we be able to share the messages. As we raise up our children, are we not to train them up for the battle ahead?

There is an important work to be finished in the last days. We know it, we claim it, but do we live it? Are we living to prepare ourselves, and our children, for these events on the horizon? As homeschooling parents, do we have this battle in mind as we go through our days? Are we preparing them in their education to face this battle? Are we giving them the tools? Are we teaching them knowledge that they can use to share the message of Jesus with others? Are we helping them develop a character that is worthy to declare the messages that Jesus is coming soon?

Or rather, are we a trumpet with an uncertain sound? Are we jumping from program to program? Are we continually looking for the next best curriculum that is fancy and colorful to get their attention? Where are our attentions? Are they on our children? Or are they on visiting social media to find the next best thing out there? Are we so busy that we don’t have time to prepare and rather just survive each day doing the minimum possible just to check it off our list so we can get to other fun stuff in our days?

There are many good things out there, but often times we get so busy with the fun, new, exciting things, that we forget our calling to prepare our children for the battle ahead. Is your focus clear? Is your battle plan understandable? Do you know what trumpet sound you need to prepare your children for? How much of our focus is on this soon coming event?

This verse today, really spoke to me. Am I being a clear sounding trumpet to my children? Am I understandable? Am I declaring the Lord’s messages to my children, all day long, so they are prepared for the times ahead? Am I focusing on their character? Am I giving them knowledge so that they may be better prepared for this season? Or am I spending too much time bumping shoulders with others that I forget the vision the Lord has put in front of me? Do my educational methods prepare my children with understanding that they can stand alone (without my guidance) and do the work of the Lord?

This verse certainly brought a lot of thoughts to my mind. Did it strike a cord with you? “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” 1 Corinthians 14:8

On Thursdays, we will begin to focus on preparation, here at The Adventist Home Educator. It’s a perfect day, as it is preparation day, and a perfect day to not only prepare for the Sabbath, but to do a little self-check and see how we are doing with our battle plans. May we keep in mind the fight that is before us.

Still My Favorite Science

AnnLeave a comment

Let me get right to the point.   After 14 years of homeschooling with two graduates so far, Adventurer awards and Pathfinder honors are still my favorite science.  I’ll tell you why.  

You will find a wide variety of topics among the awards and honors. Our family preferred that over single subject science programs.   Just the Pathfinder nature section alone features more than 90 honors covering zoology, botany, astronomy, etc.  The Bridges honor in Pathfinder Arts and Crafts is a study in physics.  Don’t forget Adventurer awards like Butterfly or  Friend of Animals  for the younger children.  The nice thing is , the majority of the work is already done for me.  These awards and honors are essentially free, organized, ready-to-go unit studies just waiting for me to download and print.  Doesn’t get easier than that!  If you’re not a science-minded person (I’m not), you will find the convenience of the answers in Adventurer and Pathfinder Wikibooks.

It is not hard to adjust the difficulty of the requirements to fit a child’s individual needs.  Customize the requirements by looking for library resources that extend the learning, as well as check for advanced or related honors.  Become and expert in a particular area by completing the Master award requirements.   Add in videos,  trips to museums, community classes, and specialty equipment and you’ll be working on some serious productive interest-led science learning.  The key is, you’ll only get out of it what you put into it.

I usually choose several awards that I think my children would benefit from experiencing, and ask my children to choose some that they would like to complete. Some years we have worked on only one or two honors, other years we have completed multiple honors. The interest level has always been high for my kids and as they grew into their high school years, my oldest two advanced from completing the honors themselves to teaching an honor to others at summer camp.

In high school, my children experienced traditional science courses, 4-H science classes, online coursework.  They did well in those classes, but their strong interest in science was founded in the awards and honors we completed through their middle school years.

If you are a new homeschooler, or on a tight budget, or need to meet special needs, or want to kindle an interest in science, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Adventurer and Pathfinder honors a try.

 

 

 

Motivation Monday

Ann1 Comment

We may not feel today the peace and joy which we felt yesterday; but we should by faith grasp the hand of Christ, and trust Him as fully in the darkness as in the light.

God’s Amazing Grace, p 84

Where Are You Going to Live?

Ann1 Comment

Quick check-in parents:  How’s your house?

No, I don’t mean the brick-and-mortar residence where your furniture is located.  I mean your body.  How is it doing?

As Seventh-day Adventists, we are blessed with a beautiful health message.  The 8 laws of health sunlight, air, water, rest, nutrition, exercise, temperance and trust in God are so easy for us to teach to our children.  But I’ve noticed recently that  so many of my parent friends are tired, stressed and on the brink of some sort of health crisis/problem.  I know this is not an isolated situation.   We as parents get so busy managing children, jobs, church work, etc.  that we don’t have time to take care of ourselves.

 

Parents, I know most of us push ourselves to provide the best spiritual, physical and emotional nurturing for our children that we possibly can.   But are we doing it at the expense of our own health and well-being?  How can we be the homeschooling parents that God has called us to be if we are struggling with wellness?

Has the Holy Spirit been prompting you to get back into having a personal devotional time?  Or to go to bed earlier,  or begin phasing a certain food out of your diet?  Most of us know what we should be doing to improve our well-being. I would like to encourage you to prayerfully listen to those promptings and follow through on them.

As a friend of mine says, “If I don’t take care of this house (pointing to his body), where am I going to live?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motivation Monday

Ann1 Comment

Our work for Christ is to begin with the family, in the home…. There is no missionary field more important than this….

Adventist Home, 35