“Administer the rules of the home in wisdom and love, not with a rod of iron. Children will respond with willing obedience to the rule of love. Commend your children whenever you can. Make their lives as happy as possible. . . . Keep the soil of the heart mellow by the manifestation of love and affection, thus preparing it for the seed of truth. Remember that the Lord gives the earth not only clouds and rain, but the beautiful, smiling sunshine, causing the seed to germinate and the blossom to appear. Remember that children need not only reproof and correction, but encouragement and commendation, the pleasant sunshine of kind words.”
This is a a bottle. It is my water bottle. Anyone who is around me for long knows that I carry this bottle wherever I go. When I forget and leave it somewhere, I miss it. Thankfully it is usually left in a place I can retrieve it.
Makes me think…
This is a Bible. This is my Bible. Those around me know that this is my Bible. But I don’t physically carry it with me wherever I go. But, I can carry what I know from this book wherever I go. When I don’t have it, I should miss it like I do my water bottle.
I think of Psalm 119:11
“Your word have I hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You”
These are children. These are my children.
They need to see that I have hidden Gods word in my heart that I might not sin.
My thoughts, attitudes, actions, words, and my countenance all reveal whether I am as devoted to “carrying” my Bible as I am to “carrying” my water bottle.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
If you wander around the internet long enough, you’ll come across some pretty cool homeschool blogs and websites. Those sites will be full of fresh-faced children playing multiple musical instruments, raising show quality livestock and making homemade bread for dinner. Mom’s hair will look great and the kitchen is spotless! Beautiful science projects and well-written reports make you feel a bit envious. You’ll go to bed a bit heavy-hearted, wishing you could have amazing experiences with your children as well.
But you DO have amazing experiences with your children! Didn’t you teach your youngest to tie his shoe this week? Remember the butterfly that landed on a flower close enough for everyone to examine? The joy you shared with your child when he read his first word on his own?
credit: thinkingfountain.org
We must remember to take what we see going on in other homeschool families’ lives with a grain of salt. Most of the time we hear and read about the final result, but we’re not always privy to the process that led to that result. Every family deals with bad days, sickness, burnt dinners and piles of laundry, but that’s not the side we normally show to the world.
Don’t fret if you see what seems to be families living and homeschooling in a way that makes your life seem less than perfect. Remember that one of the main reasons for homeschooling is to provide your family with unique experiences tailored to the needs and interests of your household. Forget about sculpted Roman aqueducts made from hand-dug clay. Embrace the joy of pyramids made from mini-marshmallows and dry spaghetti!
If you wander around the internet long enough, you’ll come across some pretty cool homeschool blogs and websites. Those sites will be full of fresh-faced children playing multiple musical instruments, raising show quality livestock and making homemade bread for dinner. Mom’s hair will look great and the kitchen is spotless! Beautiful science projects and well-written reports make you feel a bit envious. You’ll go to bed a bit heavy-hearted, wishing you could have amazing experiences with your children as well.
But you DO have amazing experiences with your children! Didn’t you teach your youngest to tie his shoe this week? Remember the butterfly that landed on a flower close enough for everyone to examine? The joy you shared with your child when he read his first word on his own?
credit: thinkingfountain.org
We must remember to take what we see going on in other homeschool families’ lives with a grain of salt. Most of the time we hear and read about the final result, but we’re not always privy to the process that led to that result. Every family deals with bad days, sickness, burnt dinners and piles of laundry, but that’s not the side we normally show to the world.
Don’t fret if you see what seems to be families living and homeschooling in a way that makes your life seem less than perfect. Remember that one of the main reasons for homeschooling is to provide your family with unique experiences tailored to the needs and interests of your household. Forget about sculpted Roman aqueducts made from hand-dug clay. Embrace the joy of pyramids made from mini-marshmallows and dry spaghetti!
“Administer the rules of the home in wisdom and love, not with a rod of iron. Children will respond with willing obedience to the rule of love. Commend your children whenever you can. Make their lives as happy as possible. . . . Keep the soil of the heart mellow by the manifestation of love and affection, thus preparing it for the seed of truth. Remember that the Lord gives the earth not only clouds and rain, but the beautiful, smiling sunshine, causing the seed to germinate and the blossom to appear. Remember that children need not only reproof and correction, but encouragement and commendation, the pleasant sunshine of kind words.”
The Adventist Home Educator 