There is so much I want to say and share regarding this topic, so i will probably do it over a series of posts. Today I will go into why we have chosen to home school and how we believe relationships are vital, especially a relationship with God.
God has given us the responsibility to teach our children in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Real knowledge apart from Gods word does not exist, so it is imperative that is incorporated into daily life:
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.His praise endures forever!
Proverbs 2:5-6 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
We have a responsibility as Christians to train our children in the discipline and the instruction of the Lord Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
With those scriptures in our mind we believe that the most important thing we can ever teach our children above any knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic, is to Love the Lord their God with all their Heart, all their Mind, all their soul and all their Strength (Mark 12:30) and how to integrate that Love into relationships. Its in relationships where we learn to love others as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. One aspect of that is spending lots of time each day with our children; teaching our children about God, talking with our children, holding and loving our children, and enjoying our children, as these formative years are fleeting so quickly.
It is in the home where they will learn about what we value in life. It is here where they will see our true character. It is here that they will see what Love is and how they will use it. It is here where we have the honor and responsibility to shape the next generation.........
LOVE these thoughts! I totally believe that if we get nothing else done in our homeschool day, Bible MUST be done. We use Precept Ministries Discover 4 Yourself Kids studies and it's amazing to me what my children (and the boys I teach at a weekly Bible co-op) learn and retain from these studies. God's Word is truly living and active and relevant. And I firmly believe that unless this country changes drastically, we are headed down a path where our freedom to read God's Word openly will be challenged. We MUST know His Word above all else. It is life!
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