Frequently Asked Questions

There is a subtle difference! I am a follower of Christ whose purpose is to introduce Jesus Christ, and to explain or exemplify His work on the cross and His resurrection through my writings. This could mean that I write directly about salvation and the means to find Christ. Or more indirectly, it means that I overtly incorporate my Christian values into every work I produce. 

On the other hand, a Christian who writes can simply be a believer in Christ who writes about various subjects and genres. He or she does not purposely place an emphasis on directly sharing his or her faith in some fashion with the reader.

In our culture today, where unprecedented confusion reigns over male and female identity, we must first necessarily answer the question “What is a woman?” clearly and with courage! Considering the controversial nature of the issues we encounter over the subject, we must refine our fundamental understanding of the purpose, identity, and function of a woman. Inevitably, marriage and family will be an integral part of the discussion. As always, to answer any question of this nature, God’s Word, the Bible, is our go-to; what He has to say about anything must always be our primary source of revelation and knowledge.

The verses in Genesis 1: 26-28 tell us precisely where He stands on the subject! According to this passage, God created mankind in His image, as either male or female. Only two. Generally speaking, until this point this is the template God had used over and over again throughout His creation. Then God wisely and lovingly created mankind with a divine and royal mandate--to replenish the earth, to be fruitful and multiply, and to take dominion over the plant, animal, and mineral kingdoms on the earth to rule and reign together with Him forever. 

When we study these Scriptures, we understand that out of the one, God made two separate, distinct individuals. Two people who, within the context of Holy Matrimony, would come together again to form a greater one. (Marriage is defined Biblically as a holy Covenant between God Himself and each spouse.) As with Adam and Eve, our first parents, each man and each woman born since their creation share many similarities as human beings; equal in value and yet created with unique physical features, functions, characteristics, capabilities, ways of approaching life, and...polar opposite opinions! And I love it!!

More to come…

Needless to say, back in 1987, the year my husband and I decided to homeschool our children, along with friends of another family in our community, educating your children at home was a very novel and, you might say, avant-garde thing to do! This was not our hearts’ posture at all, however. Our sole motivation in those days was a strong desire to guard our children’s souls. Considering the times (so innocent as compared to today) we hoped that by withdrawing them from public school, we might more easily lead our children into a relationship with God. So, though we had no idea what lay ahead, our adventure began...we were young, we were enthusiastic, we were inexperienced…but we were committed, lol!!

Three years earlier, when our oldest son’s Kindergarten teacher denied him permission to share his Bible story record for Show-and-Tell, we had begun to investigate alternative education. Back then we had no idea there were any other options, especially in our small rural community, as this was just when the home-schooling movement was getting underway.  During that time, we listened regularly to Christian radio where we were introduced to the idea of schooling at home. Consequently, our son would attend public school through 2nd grade before we opened our own ‘school’ for our three oldest children. Then for the following 28 years, I would be dedicating my life to full-time home-education as well as continuing to be a full-time homemaker, and eventually Mom of 5.

A.  Given my years and experience in home education, I must give a qualified yes. Because, considering the question, one thing I now understand—how our children are educated is a very personal decision, and one that each family must make very carefully. 

For Christian parents, I do believe home education is a great choice. It requires, however, that we explicitly trust Him in this very challenging endeavor. As parents, we must first each ask ourselves very vital questions. I cannot stress enough how important this is, that we earnestly seek God before beginning in order to discover His heart and His mind for our own family.

Because undertaking major responsibility for our children’s education must not be entered into lightly, our most important task, indeed, is first to discover our “why” and to count the cost for the entire family—literally. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically as well. Each parent must decide if we can commit to making necessary sacrifices—to prioritize time, finances, and personal preferences & goals for what we believe to be best for our children’s futures and well-being. 

We must also remember that God has ordained parents to be the legitimate caregivers, guardians, teachers, and trainers of our own children. According to Scripture, this is NOT the job of the state or even the church’s responsibility. Granted, we may delegate some, or even a good portion of that teaching and training to others but, ultimately, we as parents alone are responsible to God for their upbringing.

The next step is to resolve up front we will persevere through every difficulty we face, including our own fears or outside criticism. Possibly even persecution. Knowing this, that if God has truly led us in our decision to home-educate, we can confidently expect Him to lead and guide us faithfully every step of the way. 

How long to educate at home? That is entirely up to you.  

By the way, I do not personally believe previous training or having teacher certification is completely necessary because we will learn along with our children. (I loved this part!) Additionally, books and resources abound to help us educate them well throughout their school experience. However, we must be confident in our ability and God’s direction to help us search out excellent curriculum in order to guide our children according to their unique gifts and talents. 

Another point--extracurricular activities are extremely important too, so we must decide early how much they truly need and where to best access them. Definitely a subject for future posts.

I realize my answer may not be one you expected, but I don’t want to sugar-coat the subject. When my husband and I embarked on this journey, we did none of these things I am suggesting you do first, and I would not recommend following that example! We did, however, strongly believe at the time we were doing the will of God, and those convictions sustained us throughout our home-schooling years. 

And to be frank, as pioneers of sorts, our homeschool was FAR from perfect. Looking back, we should have changed a few things. We can't go back, however, so I must trust in God's mercy concerning our family. Further, I hope that by passing on my observations and experiences to you in future posts, I can perhaps spare you the mistakes that we have made.

On a lighter note, please know that the privilege of educating your own precious children brings joy and satisfaction like nothing else because you are giving your all to doing what you believe is best for those you love the most! 

To families in general, I would recommend that anyone concerned about the widespread lack of decent morality, and the inferior quality of education in many public schools today consider an alternative such as home-education. Other reasons to home-educate could be concern for potential school violence, or to avoid perverse cultural indoctrination. In all honesty I must also add that, besides educating at home, there are other viable options such as sending your children to private, parochial, and charter schools. 

In conclusion, I do believe, ultimately, the training and education of your children should be carried out according to your family’s own particular goals and belief systems, which will depend entirely on your unique priorities and personal values.

A footnote: I have observed that the stronger the marital bond, the better the child’s overall education, whether home, public, or private school educated. There is no doubt in my mind--strong family bonds sustain a family through the storms and trials of life like nothing else. Especially if that family is grounded on the Word and the love of God! According to Jesus’ Golden Rule, I believe there is simply no substitute for a husband and wife who selflessly serve, and whole-heartedly love, honor, and respect their spouse and their children, even as themselves.

Praying you and your family find grace to follow God's will, and experience His overwhelming peace as you seek to serve Him in utilizing the best eduational methods for educating and training your own beloved children unto Him!