I am so blessed and not so surprised to get so many responses about the challenge of homeschooling and home-keeping that many mom's seem to have.  Those day to day "mini-mountains" we have to scale sometimes turn in to Pikes Peak for me, and I am seeing that we all have our mountains to conquer.  I supposed if this life was easy, we would never see our need for the One who created us either.  I started to say, the One who created the mountains too----but many times, we are dealing with mountains of our own creation.  Either way, He will help us get to the Mountian Top!

I walked outside today, coffee cup in one hand, and my copy of "Educating the WholeHearted Child"  by Clay and Sally Clarkson in the other.  I read this book several years back, and it has been one of my favorites!  It made SO much sense to me about who we are and what we believe about homeschooling.  Well, yesterday was a bit of a mountain climbing experience for me----falling off the mountain, and feeling like throwing in the towel, so I grabbed this book off the shelf today to get some proper perspective.

One reason this book is so good, is the Biblical perspective. 

 On page 4, this jumped out at me:

 "The Cost of Ministry. 

 Am I willing to minister to my children....to become a servant like Jesus, giving up my own life for my children?  

 Christian home education is a ministry of discipleship and education to your children.  It is the most biblical way for you to "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  For ministry-minded Christian parents, home education is not simply an "educational alternative."  Rather, it is an issue of obedience and submission to God's will for their family.  Home education is the naturnal and logical extension of what God, from the beginning, designed the family to be and do."  (Educating  the Wholehearted Child, A Handbook for Christian Home Education by Clay & Sally Clarkson, published by Whole Heart Ministries.)  (1996)

On page 172, it says this, under the heading "Know your Purpose"

"As a Christian home-schooling mother, you need to have a very clear sense of your purpose in life.......to be able to better express it in your day-to-day living. "

 Then skipping down to the first bullet:

"To bring order to your home.  You have a mandate from God to bring order to your home (to "subdue"it.)  By God's perfect design, it is your primary domain of influence, and your calling is to bring all aspects of your home life - children, meals, decor, schedule, environment--into subjection to the design of  living that God has revealed in his Word. "

There is more, but I have left it out for now, I encourage you to get a copy and read it for yourself!  

I was thrilled to run into Sally Clarkson and her eldest daughter at the CBA convention last month.  They were such a blessing!  Seeing the "fruit" of families that have gone before us, and are living proof of this wonderful lifestyle called homeschooling, is always the icing on the cake. 

 Part of the mountain top experience, of course, is each step you take as you go......remembering to look up, not down, and take it step by step.

The Lord has given us so much help!  We don't have to do it alone, whether it is learning how to organize your desk, or clean the house, how to bless your husband, and disciple you children;  God is there, and He has put mentors and helpers in our paths.  These mountains can be moved, and they can also be scaled!!!

Just put your whole heart into it today, and be more than a conqueror!

Nancy

P.S., please pray for the Clarksons today!  When I checked their website to add the link, I saw that they are dealing with a "mountain" today also---you will see that their online store is down right now!  Please pray for their situation---thank you!!!!!