Studying a topic together as a family can be a lot of fun. It is such a joy to have so many children! My younger boys had signed up for a History Fair with our homeschool support group. The topic for this year's History Fair is United States Presidents. My boys picked Zachary Taylor to study. He was the 12th president of the United States and turns out to be quite an amusing and energetic personality. The whole family worked together on the project. Having a little baby to nurse and hands full with one-on-one ministries and homecare, I barely managed to create an outline of assignments and related projects. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Lisa, and my twelve year old boy, Timothy, worked with the younger boys when I couldn't. We had an interesting time making a computerized travel brochure of Orange County, VA, the birthplace of the president as well as three other presidents. Then we had a blast making a movie with documentary, battle scenes, senate debates and news reports. Lisa has developed a knack for figuring how to use a computer to make movies that are complete with dramatic music accompaniment. I was amazed at the talent and ability each child showed. The children have worked hard and are proud of their accomplishment, I can tell.

All the children were involved, including my four year old who was the cook for General Taylor's camp. She wanted to wear a ballerina costume and cook for the famous general's troops. It was funny! She wanted to dress up because the boys had dressed up to look like soldiers. The battle scene and debate scenes were hilarious as the children threw themselves in the fray, ending up with one sitting on another's head!

Home schooling… many people think that this form of education is boring, unsocial, and narrow-minded. However, I love home schooling. I love the flexibility, the freedom, and the fact that my parents are teaching me. Home schooling is rewarding and enjoyable because of its essence of flexibility. We can do so many things that we would not be able to do if we followed any other form of education. Each day is laden with benefits.

         The flexibility provided by home schooling has many advantages. One of these advantages is that we can have our own schedule. A typical day starts with my dad waking me up at 6:30 to have my own devotional time. I love this because I do not have to worry about having to rush or miss a bus. After this, I go to my parents’ room to have family devotions. This is wonderful, because my family and I can open the Bible together and learn from it, and spend some time together. After prayer, I brush my teeth, clean my room, and go downstairs for breakfast. There is usually a nice homemade breakfast waiting for us. To have a homemade breakfast is just a little thing, but these “little things” make home schooling even more special. After breakfast, we start our school work. I do my school work with my mother and siblings sitting across from me. We can work together, help each other, and do experiments together.  My parents are there to help with everything. I enjoy having the chance to work with my family.

          In home schooling, you are always with your family. They know you and understand the way you need to be taught. My mom plans what I do based on my personal needs because she knows what I am good at and in what I need to improve. We can adjust our schedule if something happens, or limit the things we do if we are sick or have to go somewhere. The flexibility to be taught according to our individual needs makes us better students.

          In home schooling, everything we do is a learning experience. We are not constrained by time, so we can be flexible. We sometimes play fun educational games that involve Math skills, critical thinking, word root games and more, and that is counted as part of our academic work for that day.  We take hikes through the woods and learn about nature. We take fieldtrips to exciting places. We learn so much from these excursions, and have lots of fun. One example is a trip I took to Charleston, South Carolina in March with my father and three brothers, when regular students were at school. We visited Fort Sumter and a naval museum. This was very enjoyable and educational. Such trips are highlights of the year. Learning through such experiences enriches our education.

There are other things we do for our education that are not from the pages of a textbook. When we do chores, clean the house, or cook dinner, we are learning life skills. Sometimes we go to the store, or to the mall and bookstore and buy what we want with our money. We learn financial responsibility, and we still have fun. We have enough flexibility with time to occasionally drop everything for one whole week or longer to focus on things like art, sewing, take part in prison ministry, or other outreach ministries. All these activities are a part of school.

            The freedoms included in our home schooling allow us to do things that we would not be able to do if we were in a typical school environment. In the middle of a school day, Mom will take us out for ice cream or some other special event as a reward for diligence or excellence. We can have friends over to play during regular school hours.  We get to watch good and wholesome movies, read interesting and educational books, listen to inspirational stories of faith, virtue, and character and discuss them with the whole family.  Sometimes we debate politics with each other, based on what we read in the newspaper. We have these discussions during regular school hours and throughout the day. I really enjoy conversing with my family about things I have learned. It reinforces the values we treasure and helps our overall education to be well-rounded in every aspect of our character and intellect. Being together as a family during the day and discussing many things with each other teaches us to think well, because “the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

Flexibility is the keyword in our home, and because of this we are constantly learning. We can be flexible with our time and schedules. We can plan events and experiences according to our personal needs. Every thing we do, whether it is life skills or debating in our home is fundamentally important to our overall education. When regular students are in school, home schooling allows us to have various experiences that are not limited to a schoolroom. The thing I love best about home schooling is the flexibility to be able to learn with my best friends – my family. 

One concern among homeschoolers pertains to obtaining resources to give their children a quality education. I have seen homeschoolers frantically worrying about which curriculum is the best for their child. They wonder with trepidation and fear if they are giving their children the best in educational experiences. Their inadequacies prevail and they run helter-skelter from one program to another.

How good is the God we adore. His kingdom rules over everything. He is our Jehovah Jaireh, our provider. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every land, and the treasure troves of knowledge. The children He has given us are not ours, but His and their future is in His hands. Psalms 139 assures us that each day of theirs has been planned. Then why do we fret? God wants us to trust His goodness and watch Him work. He will bring resources that pertain to His purpose and plan for each child at the right time. He will provide. He is intimately concerned about everything that happens to them. God want us to teach them to trust Him and tell them of His goodness.

I have had numerous instances that testify of God being interested in what we are learning, providing means and resources for the children at the right time. I will mention a few.

A few years ago, we decided to study the nation of Austria as a family. We read Maria Von Trapp's autobiography. We invited friends who were from Austria for an Austria Day at our house complete with an Austrian meal, music from the composers, and presentations from all the children. Right after that, we heard of a presentation of the Sound of Music (the musical of the Von Trapp family) at a nearby centre. That weekend we read in the newspaper of descendants of the Von Trapp family being in our city to send CARE packages to Austria, a tradition they have continued from the years after World War II. We also found out that that specific family were evangelical Christians who homeschool, too! Soon after, there was a show of Lippizanner horses, complete with dressage in our city, followed by the Vienna Boys Choir - all within a couple of months and affordable for us to see! All these have never come to our area since then, and certainly not at the same time period. i could not call that a coincidence.

Another time, I sat with the children and taught them about birds, making mention of the James Audubon Society. The door bell rang, and we opened it to see a package at the door dropped off by our faithful man in brown (UPS), sent from a friend of mine. We opened it to find a gift of an Audobon clock that had pictures of birds and made bird calls specific to the respective birds at each hour! The beauty of this story is that my friend had not known that I was teaching the children about birds!

We were studying different explorers, when we received a magazine that month that had a story of a Christian explorer.

We were listening to stories about persecuted Christians, when the Lord brought into our home videos and dvds of stories of persecuted Christians, books, etc all without us conciously planning it all. He wanted us to think and pray specifically about our willingness to be faithful to Him at all costs, and to pray intelligently for others who are tried constantly for their faith.

The time would fail to be enough to tell of all the wondrous ways God has led us in our homeschooling. He leads us every day and moment. Simply trusting, we go forth, doing all things as unto Him. He is our exceedingly great reward.

Why I Love Home Schooling

The sun’s rays peek into my room, teasing my face with loving strokes. Then Dad barges in, snaps on the light, and pulls the covers off of our slumbering bodies. Bleary-eyed we walk into my parents’ room for family prayer. After that, it is time to wrestle! It is the beginning of another day of education in our home. My favorite part of home schooling is being able to enjoy my family and study hard at the same time.

   In our home we can study anywhere we want to – kitchen, basement, individual rooms, dining room, etc. We can also study alone or with other siblings. However, you will never really see anyone studying by themselves. Once, I was doing my schoolwork all by myself when I decided to go into my big sister, Lisa’s room, and do my work there because I did not like being alone. Later, when my Mom came in she found me sitting on Lisa’s shoulders studying for the science test. Some might wonder how we ever learn with such antics amidst the serious things of life, but we do learn and remember. In this particular instance, we both aced the test.

   A family that home schools with a bunch of boys carries the advantage of an interesting combination of erudition with fun and games and noise during regular school hours. In our house there are no designated break times, so when my brothers and I complete certain aspects of our daily assignments, we take breaks and play around with one another. We jump, pounce on and wrestle with each other. We have the regular wrestling that boys enjoy and our own version of sumo wrestling matches which involves bouncing around and then ramming each others’ bellies. This is very humorous and even my little sister enjoys the game. Ever since we learned about medieval times in history, we boys have sword fights with one another and envision ourselves as the heroes of ancient days. Our home will be silent for a while, but when we play Cowboys and Indians, it comes alive with our whoops and yells, drawing everyone in the house out to play like the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Sometimes, we play board games together. If the weather is pleasant we also play outside. I sometimes will go into the garage and make things out of duct tape, like wallets and flip flops, for my brothers. I also use other tools in the garage to make wooden swords, spears, and bows and arrows for them. If we were in a typical school, my brothers and I would be in different classes or maybe even different schools. We would have to wait till the end of the day to see each other and play with one another. We might also have to do a lot of homework, which would not allow us a lot of time together. Home schooling lets me spend time with my brothers and helps us bond together.

       The aspect of bonding applies to children much younger than me who may not be able to play the wild games that my brothers and I enjoy. Being home schooled, I can also play with my little siblings and take part in the funny games that they invent all throughout the day. I enjoy helping them, sometimes teaching them simple things, aiding them in everyday activities, reading to them, or just doing “big brother” kind of things for them. Being a big brother also gives me the privilege of teasing them and then getting a hug from them afterwards. I take pleasure in their funny talks and mischief. My little siblings will not remain little for long. Since I am homeschooled, I have a lot more time with them than I would if I was not homeschooled, and thus I do not miss out on the time when they are so cute and funny.

       Our entire family reads the same books and we all are interested in a lot of the same things. We converse and discuss the books, authors, story plots, and characters. Our younger siblings then get interested in the very same books and even though they are quite young, they tend to read those books and join our discussions. We have our own informal book club and every single person in the family from Mom down to my three year old sister, Joi, is a member. Joi knows all the characters and story plots of the books we read and she also takes part in our book talks. When all of us are doing our schoolwork together at a common table or room, we laugh, joke, tease and chatter with one another while we are working and still manage to complete our assigned work, for the most part, or Mama will complain. We do not really mind her complaining or her half-hearted threats because we know that she really enjoys our conversations and camaraderie during the course of the day, for there are some things that are more important than academics.

The icing on the cake that comes with home schooling is being with my mother, for I know that in a few years I will not be able to be with her as much. Big as I am, I can still get a hug from her during the day, sit on her lap and do schoolwork just for fun, and play with her hair while she explains something to me. If I was in a regular school, I would not be able to do these affectionate things as often.

       In Psalms 133, we are told: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! For there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore.” We may not always dwell in unity, but home schooling ensures that we learn to dwell with one another despite differences. We certainly enjoy one another and because of that there is much blessing in our home.  Math plus wrestling, language arts plus playing games with my brothers, science plus joking, history plus book talk, and a hug from Joi to top it all equals the best education ever.

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    This is one of the questions most often asked regarding home schooling. First of all, home schooling does not mean that the children are at home only, not seeing anyone outside the family, not having any interactions with the world outside the home. Home schooling is just another form of schooling in which the parents of the children are most involved in their education and have assumed prime responsibility for the education of their children.

One myth concerning home schooling is that we home school our children to shelter them from negative peer pressure and world influence. The truth is, we cannot completely shelter our children from bad influences; these influences creep in all the time, and are all around us. Also, some children are more prone to peer pressure than others. The benefit of home schooling lies in that we can control the amount of exposure and teach them to make the right choices based on their day-to-day presence with us.

Suppose you had two cloths, one smudged with dirt and the other clean. You rub them together. Which would rub off on the other more easily? Dirt or Clean? The clean cloth would get dirty as it is easier for dirt to rub off than for clean to rub off. Children being with children from every kind of background, everyday, five days a week, in the most impressionable years of their lives, and the most absorbable hours of the day will only bring about largely negative socialization. Kids will be kids. We all know that. Children these days are not as innocent as in maybe previous generations. I have heard and seen too much of what goes on in a classroom between children and I don’t want to take such a risk regarding my children's social upbringing.

Having a large family and children close together in age is one of the greatest blessings of home schooling. They have one another to play with, learn from, learn patience, forgiveness, respect, etc. They all love people of all ages and are quick to make friends. Outside the home, they exhibit constraint and ability to deal with conflict in a mature and godly way as their primary influences are their own parents. They show tolerance and affection for children from every aspect in which differences exist - physical abilities, age, race and ethnicity, language, religion, etc. When they are outside the home, they stand out in character, from the oldest to the youngest. They, on the other hand, have had to deal with unfriendliness and meanness based on all their differences in religion, color, and age several times from their "friends" and neighbors who are all schooled in contemporary educational institutions.

My children are engaged in activities with different groups of children. They take classes, sometimes, once a week for different subjects at places that minister to homeschoolers. Some of the children are in sports. They participate in several academic activities with other homeschoolers. They have neighbors that come to our house and play. In fact, my house is known to some as “the Kids’ House” because several of our neighbors love our family and come to play after their school is over each day. The yard is crawling with kids after school. No other house is so alive and “social” in any of the neighborhoods I’ve seen!

What is socialization anyways? What determines an individual's social awareness? Is it partying? Is it measured in terms of your ability to hold conversations and be outgoing? I know people who are, in public, very friendly and outgoing, but at home are demonic, mean, uncontrollable, and selfish to the core. (That's the real person.) I know others who are shy and introverts, but can be trusted in a true relationship and can go through the stormiest gale with patience, responsibility, wisdom, and endurance. I know others who have bubbly personalities, but cannot withstand the normal stresses of life. People who talk a lot may not be the most trustworthy people. Each person has their own personalities. Some are more outgoing than others. Some are shy and require time to develop relationships. There is a lot more to socialization than being with every kind of person for extended periods of time. Socialization begins in the home and culminates in the home. The real character of a person in terms of socialization and ability to get along with people is consistently revealed and tested the most in everyday family relationships - in the home.

In the real world, you do not find people of one age all together. You find people of all ages working together for a common goal or interest. A family is representative of that. Children learn most social skills from their families. I had the ultimate in child socialization and looking back I find that my social skills are not a result of boarding school and hostel life, but a result of the relationships I had with my family members.

My oldest daughter is now twelve, and carries herself very well wherever she goes. People say she isn’t like “normal” kids. From what I understand, they are saying that “normal” isn’t a very good thing. They have high opinions of her in every circle. I do not want my kids to be “normal”. We desire for them to be excellent in spirit and seek to train them to strive towards excellence in all areas of their lives. I am beginning to see the fulfillment of that in their characters.

We have had struggles in our homeschooling journey and there have been times I have been ready to throw the towel in (give up), but it usually arises because of external pressure. It seems that the children misbehave a lot more when critical people are spouting their disapproval and disdain to me and it creates a lot of stress for me. This is an on-going thing I’ve just accepted as a thorn in my flesh and say nothing. I welcome guests. We have learned to work around guests and interruptions. We are very flexible with homeschooling and can school all year round. So if we have days when my agenda is not God’s agenda and there is sickness, interruptions, etc, I take it as it comes and life goes on. My children do not lack in anything emotionally, academically, or otherwise as I’ve seen. When I am sick, they come around me and do their studies, helping each other when needed. I also have good Christ centered, creation videos that teach science from a biblical worldview which I can have them watch when I am not able to be physically available. All the children love those videos and they are very informative. What ever struggles we have I view as God's hand and His working and I trust in Him and His control over everything. I see struggles as His way of perfecting us, fulfilling His purpose for each of us, helping me to see issues that need addressing or prayer in each of my children, myself or others. I commit everything to the Lord and see Him bringing in answers to those struggles. God has led us all the way. I live by faith and those struggles become opportunities to see God's faithfulness and force me to depend on Him alone for help and wisdom, and I can testify that He does give outstanding wisdom and help.

Bearing and raising children is difficult. But, I wonder, which job is easy? Life is not meant to be comfortable. I live with eternity in perspective, so the day-to-day difficulties seem trivial and very transient. I also have learned that each day is a gift from God and as my life is in His hands and as it says in Psalms 139, I will take whatever each day brings. I pray for His control, trust in His control, seek Him in all things and in every trial, and find that He makes everything beautiful in His time. How do I handle the burdens of each day - by looking to Jesus in everything as my Lord, by putting my spirit in His control and by my heart attitudes. Difficulties come and go, but when I look back, I see God weaving a tapestry – beautiful, wonderful, and worth all the trouble. Psalms 23 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall FOLLOW me all the days of my life.” That’s what I see.

Practically, I try to teach the children responsibility in small chores around the house, instilling in them character qualities of diligence, faithfulness in small things, and an attitude of putting others first. If they are part of this family, they need to do their part in helping around in the home. This takes some of the physical burden off of my shoulders. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been a good thing for the children. My husband has also seen the necessity of supporting me in the physical labor around the house during pregnancy and helps wherever needed.

Family planning is an issue I have been taught about and I thought much about before I was married. I have been advised by many about it. Am I against it? For me and my family, the answer is Yes. Why? Am I not educated? Is it not irresponsible? Do I know what I am in for? What of the future? What of finances? What of my health? Regardless of these questions, we have submitted the matter of birth control to our God’s control.

The previous question and this are closely tied. The blessing of God for a godly family is to have children. I do not know why there are so many miscarriages and infertility problems in my current generation. God has spared me from that and given me a great blessing – to be able to physically bear children.  People now consider a fruitful womb to be a curse. How can they think so when God calls it a blessing from Him? God cries out against the killing of babes in the OT of the Bible and says, “Every soul is mine! You have crushed me!” Psalms 139 bellows out about God’s sovereignty in the creation of each child, no matter how conceived. It speaks of God’s purpose and knowledge of each day in the life of that individual. Life is no accident. It has a beginning, but is designed to live eternally - with God or away from God is another thing.

Everyone was glad when I had my firstborn, as is the usual case. None of my other children were considered as special by others after that. People asked me if some of them were mistakes. God does not make mistakes as I have mentioned. Some have stated that it is okay as long as the children are healthy. In Exodus, God was angry with Moses for complaining about his speech problems. God said, “Is it not I Who creates the lame, the deaf, and the blind?” To me, it is a question of trusting God. It is the question from the very beginning of time. Can we trust God no matter what? I know my God, and I choose to trust Him. WE sing,”I surrender all”, but this area is so difficult to surrender to God. I have come to realize that every child, every person, every soul is absolutely worthwhile and ultimately valuable for the sole reason that God loved them enough to create them and send His Son to die for their salvation. I have personally experienced Him and know Him to be a personal God with interest in the daily mundane lives of every one. Every child is unique, their timing perfect, and their purpose special and God ordained.

Another reason for our decision is the history of family planning. The son of Judah in the Bible tried his method of family planning, which is not too different from modern day methods, and God was incensed against him and killed him immediately. Warning for us! The first proponents of the contemporary “pill” was Planned Parenthood, a pro-abortion agency that has clinics everywhere for women who want abortions. All Christians should abhor abortion! How can we side with those who called it “the greatest breakthrough ever?” Satan has used family planning methods to allow people of all ages to engage in flamboyant sexual activity outside of marriage. It is a “Pandora’s Box”. It has led to failed marriages, dysfunctional relationships, long-term physical and relationship problems in the lives of millions, and disproportional population problems in Japan, China, and Europe. I will not have any part of Satan’s lie! So for my family, I am against family planning. But I do not judge anyone else for their decisions and I do not ask.

Health is often a variable that people cite when advocating birth control. Yes, pregnancy is trauma to the body. But I have researched many things about pregnancy and one thing that medical science agrees on, but has no answers as to why it is- is the fact that with a healthy lifestyle, the more pregnancies you have and the more you breastfeed, the less chance you have for reproductive organ cancers, osteoporosis, problems with the uterus, etc. In my family and my husband’s family, I have had such examples. My husband’s grandmother is the mother of ten children. She is still alive, 98 years old, and her only complaint is that she is outliving her own children. She has seen 5 generations. My father’s mother was a cheerful, loving mother of seven. She lived to be 85 and even though she had manageable diabetes, she only developed a mitral valve problem of the heart in the last two years of her life.

I trust my God. I am not stupid. I have researched every birth control method there is and found none to be biblically acceptable. God plans my family and I am in good hands for He is the author and source of all life. The difficulties and pain of that one year of bearing a child physically is nothing compared to the joys and griefs of raising an eternal life for the One Who created that life.

The common opinion about children is that they are a headache, a burden, a necessity to have for one’s name and to ensure a future generation, but nevertheless a burden. I cannot think like that. Yes, there are times I get frustrated and stressed with work or discipline issues. But, I have a philosophy or worldview about children that is so different from most people’s attitudes towards having children.

 The Bible states that children are from the Lord, a gift, a reward, a heritage from Him. A heritage is something that belongs to someone and is handed down to someone else to be responsibly handled. When God gave the Israelites His guidelines to live by, He gave a list of rewards of having obeyed Him. One blessing He put great importance on was the blessing of children. When He gave a list of consequences of going against Him, one mentioned over and over again was an infertile womb and miscarriage. I have trusted in God’s Word and have proved Him over and over. Children are a blessing.

How can I enjoy them as such? When they are young, they are cute and helpless. When they are older they can be still more work. I see how they are blessings. They bring out the best in me and show me the worst that is in me. They give me unconditional love – I’ve never received unconditional love from anyone. They are ever ready to forgive. They show my constant moment by moment need for wisdom and grace and strength from God. They show me that I am a sinner. They prove to me that every soul is a sinner as they do not need to be taught to have a selfish nature. Every man seeks his own. When they pray in all simplicity, God answers their prayers. Through them I see God’s heart. As I seek to educate and train them for their futures, I see God leading each one, protecting each one, and teaching me through each one. They disprove contemporary psychologists who assert that children cannot understand God because they can’t think abstractly. They make life ever interesting; one day is never the same as another, and life is challenging and unpredictable. They are with me all the time, but they are also now my closest companions. I can be silly and crazy with them. I can be mature and noble with them. They look on me as the fountain of wisdom.

They are individuals. One of the greatest blessings of all in them is that they are all unique – with a purpose and plan from God for them – to be His and to show His glory to me and my husband as we enjoy them for a few short years. Everything in life that we go through is temporary and transient, but the life of every person is eternal. I often realize that my years with them are barely a few. 18 years goes by very fast. I am 36 now. My life seems to be a blur. My life with my family in India before I got married seems to have gone like the blink of an eye. My children and us cannot be together forever here on earth and their time with me will be short. I will enjoy them as such, relish each one, cherish my memories, and pour my life into theirs. For they are my greatest treasures.

He has given us His very great and precious promises…(2 Peter 1:4)

Why does God give us children?

• Malachi 2:15
• Godly – One in whose life God is pre-eminent (Mathew 22:37)

What does God say about children?

• Psalm 127:3-5 (blessing, reward, gift, heritage, crown for grandparents, reminder of God and His relationship with us, born again)
• Ezekiel 15:20,21 (His)
• I Corinthians 8:6;  (for Him)
• Psalm 102:18 (for His praise – that we might enjoy Him)
• Matthew 18:3
• They need to be nurtured physically and emotionally, comforted, trained and disciplined (2 Chronicles 17:3; Proverbs 29:17; Proverbs; Hebrews 12:6)

What are God’s promises regarding children?

• Psalm 139; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Matthew 10:30 (God’s control over our times – in His hands)
• Psalm 103:17; 37:25 (His provision)
• Philippians 2:13 (His working)
• Isaiah 45:11, 9-10
• Jeremiah 33:3

“Let the little children come unto Me…”

Bearing and raising children for the Lord is service to the Lord and a life that necessitates living by faith – your work for Him, living your life in absolute obedience to everything in the Word of God, His highest calling. Do not stoop for any other source of worldly fulfillment or convenience that exalts self-sufficiency. How much do you love Him?

1.        (Colossians 1: 9 – 14; Matthew 6:33) - That Christ will be their all in all - pre-eminent.

2.        That your children will fear the Lord and will serve Him (Deuteronomy 6:13)

3.        That they will know Christ as Savior and Lord early in life, while their hearts are tender. ( Psalm 63:1)

4.        That they will have a consuming love for God’s Word, that they will study, obey, and enjoy it, and that God will constantly speak to them through it (apply it to every day and moment).

5.        That they will hate sin and have their senses exercised to know the difference between good and evil. (Psalm 97:10 ; Hebrews 5:14)

6.        That they will be caught when they have done wrong. (Psalm 119:71, 75)

7.        That they will respect authority. (Romans 13:1)

8.        That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong kind. (Proverbs 1:10,15)

9.        Pray that they will be kept from the wrong mate and be saved for the right one. (2 Corinthians 6:14)

10.     That they and their prospective mates will be kept pure until marriage.  (1 Corinthians 6:18 - 20)

11.     That they will learn to submit totally to God and actively resist Satan always. (James 4:7)

12.     That they will be single-hearted, with their main ambition to please the Lord Jesus and be wholly His. (Romans 12:1-2)

13.     That they will have a "hedge" of protection around them so that they cannot find their way to evil/devious/Satan-controlled people or such places, and that such people will not find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6-7; Psalm 1, Psalm 91)

14.     That they will have responsive and repentant hearts. (Psalm 51:1-3)

15.     That they will honor their parents so that all will go well with them. (Ephesians 6:1-2)

16.     Pray that they will be teachable and able to take correction. (Isaiah 54:13; Proverbs 13:1)

17.     That they will live by the Spirit and not gratify their flesh, and be able to overcome the lusts of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, 22-23)

18.     That they will trust in and acknowledge the Lord in all aspects of life, and for direction. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

19.     That they may be blessed with wisdom and an understanding heart, taught by the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit for whatever He purposes through them………

20.     Pray for specific gifts of the Holy Spirit, and for them to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 20, 22-23)

21.     That they would be mighty and beautiful in spirit - beloved of the Lord (with character traits of Joseph, David, Daniel, Moses, Abraham, Stephen, Enoch - who walked with the Lord…)

22.     Pray for the future, for their marriages, families, and generations to come…till the Lord comes.

"Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and His Maker; Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; and concerning the work of My hands, you command Me…"         (Isaiah 45:11)

And for us mothers…Solomon's prayer: "And now, O Lord my God, I do not know how to go out or come in… G ive Thy servant therefore an understanding mind!"

Joshua 1:5 – 9

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Only be strong and courageous…be not afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As a home schooler, fully reliant on God to live in this world and yet seek first His kingdom and righteousness for ourselves and our children, one often wonders whether we are doing what is right for the next generation. Fears assail us, and our inadequacies threaten to engulf us. Human frailty opens wide its unforgiving mouth and our vision to teach our children to love our God with all their hearts, minds, souls and strength dims in the face of everyday reality. As I cried out to the Lord for strength and wisdom for yet another year, the Lord gently reminded me that the God of Moses Who led the people of Israel in all their journeys, performing miracles and providing for their needs, pouring out His heart into a feeble folk in preparation for generations to come to declare His praises, sending fear and knowledge of Who the only living and true God is into the hearts of the enemy, that same God is with us. We do not need a cloud by day or fire by night to indicate the presence of the Lord with us.

His promise is true. We have the Counselor, the Comforter, Who will teach us all things. He is with us always, never to depart, for He abides with us in the tabernacle – the Treasure within earthly vessels, these clay pots – our physical beings. His promise to trembling contrite Joshua came to me. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you…” A personal promise from a personal God, full of grace and truth. Through our weaknesses, we see His glory manifested, His grace and power perfect for the task ahead. The glory that led the people of Israel, that made the mountains tremble, the power that pushed the waters aside and made dry land appear, the strength that cleft the rock and brought forth rivers of water, the energy that caused our Savior to defeat the forces of darkness, sin and death – the same is within us – to show us His will for each day, to give us ideas and comfort, to care for His own, - and ultimately to make us like the focus of His heart – His Son.

Be still and watch how He shows Himself strong for you in all you go through this year, beloved. Only be strong and courageous. Do not give way to your fears, for fears that focus on yourself and your abilities and resources are not from Him.

The heritage we are seeking for our young ones is far greater and of infinitely more value than the heritage of those who are left to the temporal.

Oh, the height and depth of glory! Oh the length and breadth of love! Oh the fullness of redemption, pledge of endless life above!