As homeschoolers we tend to struggle with whether or not to pursue college for our children. I am a firm believer that the Lord will provide the means and the vision if that is where He is calling our children. I'm going to share with you a couple of paragraphs from the free e-book that I mentioned in the title. Who do you think it came from:
"I began my studies with eagerness. Before me I saw a new world opening in beauty and light, and I felt within me the capacity to know all things. In the wonderland of Mind I should be as free as another [with sight and hearing]. Its people, scenery, manners, joys, and tragedies should be living tangible interpreters of the real world. The lecture halls seemed filled with the spirit of the great and wise, and I thought the professors were the embodiment of wisdom... But I soon discovered that college was not quite the romantic lyceum I had imagined. Many of the dreams that had delighted my young inexperience became beautifully less and "faded into the light of common day." Gradually I began to find that there were disadvantages in going to college. The one I felt and still feel most is lack of time. I used to have time to think, to reflect, my mind and I. We would sit together of an evening and listen to the inner melodies of the spirit, which one hears only in leisure moments when the words of some loved poet touch a deep, sweet chord in the soul that until then had been silent. But in college there is no time to commune with one's thoughts. One goes to college to learn, it seems, not to think. When one enters the portals of learning, one leaves the dearest pleasures – solitude, books and imagination – outside with the whispering pines. I suppose I ought to find some comfort in the thought that I am laying up treasures for future enjoyment, but I am improvident enough to prefer present joy to hoarding riches against a rainy day."
Whoa!!! those are some heavy perceptions are they not? Give up? This is a quote from the book "Story of My Life by Helen Keller"
You can download the free E-book in pdf format at this link..................
I
am so intrigued by what can be found under the objective lens of a
microscope! We examined quite a few specimens the other day. The
photo below is a sample of Diatoms
, they are yellow-green algae that have cell walls made of silicon
dioxide, the main component in glass, which gives them a brittle
structure. You can see small oil spots that are stored food: rather
than storing extra food in vacuoles, diatoms convert it to oil.
You may have heard of something called diatomaceous earth
- a light soil consisting of siliceous diatom remains and often used as
a filtering material. This is what we use in our swimming pool
filtration system.
There
are so many helpful educational microscopy sites but I wanted to share
a couple with those of you who may not yet own a microscope and you
would like to check out some virtual microscope sites.
Molecular Expressions
I could spend the whole afternoon at this website! There is an
abundance of interactive java applets to assist the homeschooling
family. The applet you will see is from theIntelPlay QX3Web Microscope. The specimen is an aoemba at 40x magnification. Some families become very intimidated at the thought of highschool science, but why? Now the fun begins!!!!
Virtual Microscope
This site has a really nifty interactive compound microscope. It
will really give you a feel for what a microscope is made up
of. Take your time!
Virtual Microscope
This is a short online class from Discovery School. It's excellent! Here is the objective for the online lesson.Students will understand the following: 1. how microscopes have contributed to our knowledge of life science. 2. the basic differences between plant and animal cells.
This is a safe and fun debate blog based on Jude 3-4
Beloved, although I was very eager to
write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write
appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all
delivered to the saints.4 For certain
people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this
condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into
sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ
Now these Jews were more noble than
those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
You've
got to check this out. If you're new to debating and want
to learn some basics and want to give it a try yourself with other HSB members, here's a good place to get
acquainted with debating basics. It's important that we
learn how to defend the Word of God, learning to properly debate is
essential to the faith!
Cathy
I've decided to post a comment in response to the question that was asked of Genaand her family by a reporter. The question is this: What if your child asks you to be enrolled in a public school?
What would YOU say? What would be YOUR response? This is so
near and dear to my heart that I *have* to post a comment. First,
here are a couple of lead in questions: 1. What does it mean to train up and nuture your child in the admonition and ways of the Lord? Children
are a gift from the Lord, we will be held responsible for the choices
that we make. When we are told to train up our children, what
does that mean? What should be the most important things that we
would train our children, in God's eyes and from His heavenly
perspective?
2.
What is the definition of the word "education"? The Lord in His
Word admonishes us "not to forget" "instruct them in the ways of
the Lord when we wake up when we lie down, all day we need to seek
every opportunity to instruct them in the ways of the Lord and of His
great love. According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary
EDUCA'TION,
n. [L. educatio.] The bringing up, as of a child, instruction;
formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of
instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the
understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of
youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give
children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important;
to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense
responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.
Pressure
to keep up with the world's way and view of education used to put a
damper on our homeschool but after allowing the Lord to direct our
learning, He has been faithful to lead us in those subjects that He
wants us to learn for that particular year. We give our daughters
freedom of speech in our home. The subject of abandoning homeschooling
has never come up. It is a "way of life" for our family. We see the
heartaches that those children in public schools encounter most
frequently. Peer pressure is something that we cannot accept. My
children are very happy and Love the Lord with all of their hearts. As
parents we know that we must give an answer to the Lord and until our
children are old enough to decide for themselves, we will guide and
lead them in those ways that we ourselves are being lead by the Lord. I
understand that there are times of crisis or illness in the family and
each one must decide for themselves but the original question was if
our child asked us to be placed in a public school setting. If a time
ever arrived that our children would ask us, we reserve the right to
say "no" and talk to our children. I've heard of many children in
public and private schools who have literally begged their parents to
homeschool them......I have spoken directly to some of these parents,
sadly, they said "no". I wonder if the reporters have ever asked this
same question of parents whose children are in public school, would
they "homeschool" their children if they made this request?
We finally made the decision to get a new microscope! We are studying biology this year, we have a digital scope but it's plastic and it doesn't magnify more than 200 x's. I ordered a 40 x 1000 monocular scope and after carefully considering the cost, we decided to send it back and add a little more money to that and invest in a scope that can be used for college, even biological use for vets. etc. It's a really nice trinocular scope. We plan on documenting our research and even posting some of our "close - ups" right here! I guess my excitement is showing, huh?! This is a picture of our scope below, it will be delivered sometime Tuesday.
I think this is a good investment, if we don't want or need it later we can sell it I'm sure.
It is exciting when a Christian homeschooling family continues to hs throughout highschool.
I've read about some who have lost courage and placed their children in
an institutionalized setting. Why forfiet everything that you've
worked so hard for? Planning for highschool can be just as much
fun as any other grade! Think of all of the learning as a
family................
that
you're throwing out of the window by quitting early. We are
continuing on with our "Lifestyle Learning" approach WWOL for those of
you who have never heard of this method. In a nutshell, we've
allowed the Lord to guide us in our choices. Marilyn Howshall has
writte oodles of booklets that cover this topic. We'll be using
Barb Sheldons "Home Designed Formula" and Mary Schofields's "Highschool
Homeschool Handbook". I know we are going to be blessed and we
will enjoy the journey as well. It's mid-summer now and time to
give a lot of thought and prayer to this stage of planning. Be
careful with your time. In Ephesians we are told that there are many
robbers of time. Guard your heart, mind AND your time wisely and
well!
WhO SaiD LeaRniNg CaN't Be FuN??
Welcome to our homeschooling treasure trove of learning and ideas. This is our place to share some of the exciting things that we are doing and learning together in our family's homeschooling adventure. We are Christians, and our goal is to yield to our Heavenly Father's will. We hope to encourage others who may be considering homeschooling and help to dismiss some of the misconceptions they may have about living a life of learning!
*Days of Creation Poll*
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I've decided to post a comment in response to the question that was asked of 
What would YOU say? What would be YOUR response? This is so
near and dear to my heart that I *have* to post a comment. First,
here are a couple of lead in questions:
