I went to two graduation ceremonies this weekend. The last one I attended was a public school graduation of five-hundred forty students. The first one I attended was only twelve graduates completing their studies as homeschoolers. On observing both, I drew some conclusions and confirmed some decisions. Our neighbor's son has attended  local public schools all of his life and we have now lived next to this wonderful family for five years. Yes, I guess you can say I've seen this outstanding young man grow into maturity. His commencement exercises nostalgically reminded me of mine, over twenty years ago. Five hundred forty students exited into a large convention arena two by two 'till all were seated in metal chairs as spectators cheered them on. There was joy; there was excitement. Amazingly, it was opened by a small prayer. The principal made his formal introductions of guests and of course the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. All looked on as they were allowed to make their speeches, with as much wit and wisdom as any eighteen year old can muster. Much emphasis was placed on personal accomplishments, successes and merits. Fellow graduates responded with cheering and enthusiasm each time the 'class of 2006' was echoed through their huge speaker system. Still.... I felt cheated. I really wanted to hear the thoughts of the young man I had come to see reach a great milestone in life. Of course, I knew I would not be seeing that, for logistically it would be impossible. Hubby and I were unable to stay for the whole thing that evening. My poor husband had to work that night and we had to get home at a decent time. We stayed long enough to watch our neighbors' graduate have his name called (after standing in line for an enormous amount of time) and be handed a diploma as he himself swept his tassle to the right side of his cap and be seated among his peers. 

The homeschool graduates experienced a totally different graduation. The commencement exercises were held at a beautiful Presbyterian Church. Needless to say, one could definitely feel the contrasting focus of this ceremony. As the graduates walked up the three isles to fill a single row of pews, the pianist music beautifully filled the sanctuary. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the colored light streaming into the church through the stained glass windows. The woman acting as speaker is a person we have all come to love in our small homeschooling community. She is an instructor at a local university, and also schools her children at home. She also teaches history, government, economics and speech/drama at a co-op for homeschoolers in our city.  Yes, she is quite amazing. Our other teachers at the co-op are just as amazing.

What made this commencement most special was the intimate atmosphere of the church in which God was the focus. The speeches were moving. Each graduate had a chance to speak and each credited their Creator for all accomplishments and then lauded their parents and families for their undying support and dedication. Each graduates' parents sat behind their graduate as each spoke eloquently, while power point pictures depicting their lives from diapers to diplomas scrolled behind them on a big screen. After their speech the graduate and the family would embrace and their father was given the honor of sweeping the tassle to its place. No, not a dry eye in the room. These graduates possesed a humility like none I've seen before. They had confidence but only in that which has been given by the Lord.

My soon to be high school daughter was with me during the HS graduation. We had been thinking about sending her to a private school for a high-school education. She turned to me while sitting at a pew and said, "Mom, if we chose to go to that school, I wouldn't be doing this."  Decision to continue to homeschool was definitely made clear that night and we went home with a clear view of our goal. Thank you God for that Vision. 

This is a new weblog for me.  I started blogging through Blogger last year fishersfeast.blogspot.com and have been weak in posting entries. Most of my time is spent reading from Homeschoolblogger anyway, so I thought I'd start one here. I'm in awe at how God has used this thing we call cyberspace to connect people and to build His kingdom.  The wealth of information and support I've received just viewing different homeschool blogs has been amazing. 

So here is my Homeschooling History.

I began homeschooling two and a half years ago after desperately searching for a solution to my then kindergarten, precious, special needs son.  You may be asking what special needs he has.  Well, he has never really been diagnosed.  Yes, he has run the gamut of testing that public schools provide, but only to receive the label of LD and speech impairment.  At one point they ran intense IQ test (which I now regret doing) only to tell me his IQ was "very very low but is functioning at a higher level than his scores reveal."  What does that mean anyway? When I asked them what they planned to change in their approach to teaching him now that they had this new information, they said, "nothing." They would continue with his IEP's the way they had always done. Imagine that. As a nurse, we have been taught to change care plans as new information on our patients arise.  I thought I'd hear that they would change his curriculum or maybe try a different approach to try to reach him. I realized then that the time had come to do something radically different.  I researched, prayed and prayed some more as homeschool became an option.  I fought to keep from doing it and now I can not see that any other option would be better for my son. 

But there was another surprise in all of this.  My daughter, then just beginning middle school in the sixth grade, decided that she too wanted to learn at home.  What a blessing.  God in his infinite wisdom knew that she would benefit from this experience as much or even more than my son.  Kay was drowning in the pressure of adolescence in the worldy atmosphere of public middle school and needed to come home to grow up at her God-given pace.

How thankful I am to a God that gives provision even in areas where I am blind.

The journey is still long but His lovingkindness is longer and bottomless.  In this I rest my hope.