Homeschooling is one of the greatest things a parent can do for their children. The Bible says that children are a gift from God. It is our job as parents to train our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We, as parents, are accountable to God for raising our children and part of that training is to point them toward the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the job of the school or the church to train them, but it is our job as parents. Children learn the most by our examples and in order for them to learn by our examples, we must first be consecrated to God ourselves and be available to them. We must ask ourselves: who do I want to be the biggest influence in my child's life? Most parents spend a lot of time teaching their children in the infant and toddler years of their lives. Then around the age of 5 they release their children to a classroom of strangers where they will spend the majority of their day.  Then they must explain to their child why they are suddenly being forced to be away from Mom for the majority of their day. When you stop to think about it, how hard this must be for a child to understand. Suddenly their shelter and security is invaded by strangers and they must learn to cope with the traditional school environment. We do this because we want our children to get an education to be able to live life one day on their own. It is not wrong to want the best for our children and for them to have a good education, but is forcing them into an environment of ungodliness really giving the best to our children? What will it profit our children if they get a good education yet lack character? Parents send their children to school, but not only do they learn skills and knowledge, they learn character. We must ask again: who's character do I want my child to learn from? We must try to instill in our children godly character; therefore, would it not be wise to place them in an environment where godly character is portrayed?
          It is this and many reasons that my husband and I have chosen to homeschool our children. God placed this upon our hearts 14 years ago and we have made a commitment to school our children. The Lord showed me years ago that homeschooling was a ministry to my children as well as one of the greatest acts of love you can give your children. Homeschooling is not just a job for Mom, but it is a job for Dad as well. Both parents play an active role in the schooling of their children. The rewards of homeschooling have far outweighed any hard times we have had to endure. Like everything in life, there are good times and bad times in homeschooling. But, it is only with God's help that one can homeschool successfully.  The Lord must be the foundation that a parent builds their child's education on. Why not give the best to your children and consider the benefits of homeschooling? Homeschooling is a ministry of giving of yourself wholeheartedly to your children. When they look back at their childhood and school years what will they remember? Will they remember the ungodliness they faced in a traditional school environment? Or will they remember how Mom and Dad were the ones who took the time and made the sacrifice to shelter them from the wickedness and ungodliness by placing them in a secure environment surrounded by godly parents? Will they remember how Mom and Dad gave of themselves and took the time themselves to give them a good education? Will they be able to say my favorite teachers were Mom and Dad? Will they say my best friend is the girl or boy who was there for me because Mom and Dad never took the time for me? Or will they say my parents were there through thick and thin. God never intended for children to put their friends above their parents or even their siblings or family. Yet, parents place their children in the environment which encourages rebellion against parents and then find themselves grieved over it. Homeschooling creates a bond between parent and child. It is through homeschooling that a parent gets to know their child's way of learning and therefore can teach exactly what the child needs.
          There are numerous benefits to homeschooling and I hope to be able to write more articles on homeschooling as well as provide help and encouragement to those who choose to homeschool. I also, will gather links that I find are beneficial to those who may be considering homeschooling. Please do not misunderstand me. Homeschooling is not for everyone and I understand that circumstances may hinder the ability to homeschool. I am just saying that it is very much honored by God and it was His way in the beginning. If you search the Bible, you will find that children were not sent to some school, but were taught by the father and learned skills from the father. The father was the key role in the education of the child. God's way has not changed. Our way of teaching today is man's way.  Why not try God's way? If the Lord puts this upon your heart then you can trust Him to carry you through and guide you every step of the way. It does not take a scholar to teach your child. It takes a godly parent and that is the best teacher your child will ever have!