Romans 8:31-37 (The Message)

 31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

   They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
   We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

I have been pouring over different homeschool learning/teaching methods. The ones that are most appealing to me, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Delight-Directed, and the like, are not what my children are desiring.

I know that anything forced is not enjoyed and we will all be miserable. They want the structure of a textbook education. I feel though that I can incorporate Charlotte Mason's method of using living books into our homeschool day.

My head is swimming with excitement of the wonderful choices of living books for my children. The start of 2009 is going to be great as I hunker down with the children in the evening to share the classics with them by reading aloud to them; from the youngest to the oldest.

I am so proud of our older two.  They have been planning for a few weeks to have a few friends over.  Their goal and objective is to form close relationships with their friends and grow in their knowledge of God.  They want to play games, write songs, eat, be silly and goofy, have Bible study(they haven't nailed that down yet), eat, talk about whatever is on their minds, eat, and be a support system.  The girls they have invited are all on their basketball team.  Three showed up today and I would consider that a success. They want to do it every third Monday of the month in the morning time. 

I consider this part of their homeschooling experience because they are learning: *social skills, *to be good hostesses, *money management (because whatever snacks, games or materials they use comes out of their pockets, so that means that they earn their money), *administrative skills and *to get along with each other (which is vitally important, to me).

I'm glad that they are stepping out and learning about themselves and what they are made of.  I'll have to say that I wouldn't have dared to do this when I was their age.  Maybe we are doing something right and teaching them something very valuable.