* according to a homeschool graduate *

   So you have been homeschooled 'all the way', as it is said.  You have had the whole homeschool experience, Bible classes with dad, school lessons with mom, fieldtrips with other homeschoolers, and taken some private music lessons.  To a Christian homeschooling family this is what most of us do right?  During highschool you have to do more classses with dad, classes like Algrebra II, Calculas, Physics, Trigonometry.  You graduate and then... then society asks that big question.  The question that most of us have a hard time answering.  Why?  Do we feel that we can't give the answer we know that we are suppose to give?  A glorified plan of our higher education mapped out.  Why do we hesitate when we hear...   "Where are you going to college?"  or sometimes they know you a little better... "Are you going to college?"  

    Parents who homeschool are looking for a step above the flow of values that are being transmitted in a public school.  Have you ever over heard the talk of boys and girls getting off the schoolbus?  I do quite often and it isn't about the gemoetry homework in their backpack.  Girls are whispering to girls, "Have you noticed Mike, look at Kelsey's old blue jacket she wears it like everyday, I can't wait to see the next episode of ____."  Boys are hanging out around the girls, playing games on X-boxes and watching shows that have language, vivd violence, and things we don't want our boys to see.  Girls are teaching each other how to be models and how to initiate flirts with guys. 

   Boys are spend so much time behind a screen such as laptop, phone, ipod, video games, and etc that they are unproductive and many times have unwilling attitudes toward hard work.  Is this being overly critical?  It is true not all cases are like this but overall non-Christian homes have trends that look simular.  These trends are the value systems that are being transmitted to children of today.  I wish I could go into detail about what is so dangerous about these values and I may in another post.  But if you start to dig into the long term effect of just a few of these such as television watching (especially unmontitored), and the "in love" & "heartbreak" cycle of girlfriend/boyfriend relationships and how it is practicing divorce.  It doesn't take long to see the effect that these values have on children and even the Christian children in your Church. 

   It may seem like I gotten distracted from my original topic, but other than a few rabbit trails I stated all of this for a purpose.  It is what I call the  "Transmission of Values."  The definition of values according to the Business Dictionary is the beliefs or ideals that is shared by a culture of what is good or desirable and what is not.  Ok, that is what values are and so why is transmitting certain values so important?  Just ask the culture from which these values come.  The schools know why it is crucial, the television producers know why, and the stores know what they are.  How come parents are so clueless?  I would say it is because we have lost the values that were past down to us.  We must take the responsibility of what our children know, where they are going, doing, and watching, before values become important to us.   

   The mission of Christian homeschool parents is to raise children who have a value system that is peculiar to this world.  We aren't going down the same road, we are not headed to the same place and we are not going to be doing the same things as this world.  Hey, just to clue in some folks, if you look like, talk like, act like, watch things like, listen to things like and love what the worlds does, you are in the world.  Today too many things aren't black and white.  When it comes to transmitting our values to the next generation it becomes a matter of faith and passing on truth.  Not just doctrine, but the truth about lifestyle. 

    After so many years invested in a godly education and a deep foundation of values that have been laid in our childrens life and we are asked the question... "are you going to send your child to the world to be educated by professors who teach from the worlds value system and to be influenced by college students with that value system?"  Hopefully we are hesitant to give a big ''Yes'' to that question!  I do not suggest that getting higher education is by any means wrong or sinful.  Education is not wrong and should be a necessity for young men who are going to provide for their families.  I would not push the issue for young ladies, although they should not be allowed to slack in education.  There are so many noble industries that prepare a young woman for a Titus 2, and Proverbs 31 ministry.  (Which I believe is what every young lady should be trained for)   

    There ais a rising number of those who take a bold yet humble stand.  They take another road.  There are many other options to obtaining a degree of higher education than going to a secular institution.  My father wanted me to go to college, but we both agreed that I should not go onsite to a secular campus.  The option I have choose is online educaiton.  It is by no means easy I can tell you!  But I have found such joy being able to still serve my family and my father while continuing with higher education right within my own home.  My days are not perfect and I fight very real trials, but I have found blessing in obediance.  I wrote more than I was planning on but I had it on my heart, I hope it will encourage someone to take the high road of pecurilarity.