Wednesday, September 12, 2012

What's My Motivation?

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Living in Love

I Corinthians 13
Paraphrased for Homeschool

Though I teach my children how to multiply, divide, and diagram a sentence, but fail to show them love, I have taught them nothing.
And though I take them on numerous field trips, to swim practice and flute lessons; and though I involve them in every church activity, but fail to give 

them love, I profit nothing. And though I scrub my house relentlessly, run countless errands, and serve three nutritious meals every day but fail to be an example of love, I have done nothing.

Love is patient with misspelled words and is kind to young interrupters. Love does not envy high SAT scores of other homeschool families. Love does not claim to have better teaching methods than anyone else, it is not rude to the fourth telephone caller during a science lesson, does not seek perfectly behaved geniuses, does not turn into a drill sergeant, thinks no evil about friends' educational choices.

Love bears all my children's challenges, believes all my children are God's precious gifts, hopes all my children establish permanent relationships with Christ, and endures all things to demonstrate God's love.

Love never fails.

Where there are college degrees, they will fail; where there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we teach in part. But when the trials of life come to our children, the history, math, and science will be done away and faith, hope and love will remain; but the greatest of these is love.

Author Unknown

Thursday, September 6, 2012

What's in a Name?

Through much prayer and seeking, the Lord has put on my family's heart to go "independent" this current school year.  I thank God for the blessings and fellowship I received our first four years of homeschooling through our homeschool group, but I clearly felt the Lord's leading to not enroll or even associate with any group for now. Next year, who knows? What I do know is the strong confidence and supernatural peace that comes from obeying the voice of the Lord.

With this change came an opportunity. When you sign up to homeschool independently, you are able to name your school. I didn't want to go the whole "Sanchez Family Homeschool" route but I also didn't want to arbitrarily pick a biblical sounding name without giving any real thought to it. This gave me an opportunity-No, rather it forced me to reexamine and contemplate the ultimate goals not just for this school year but also for the rest of my children's lives. A chance to refocus, recalibrate and encourage myself with meditation on God's word and will.


After much prayer and during my normal morning devotional time, I came to a passage of scripture that mirrored exactly my feelings and convictions for what I do with my kids and why I do it. So simple, yet so profound and exact. Though I desire my children to obtain the practical knowledge of this world, my bottom line is to train and lead my children into a lifelong relationship with their Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ(Colossians 1:16;Acts 5:31). That their lives would bring praise, glory and honor to Him is the most I could ever ask for (3 John 1:4). 


1 Peter 2:5 says this, "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ." So as the days go by and the trials come and go, I can stop and remember the purpose of "Living Stones Christian School" and be encouraged and refreshed for the ministry I have been entrusted with and equipped for by a loving, sovereign God.

 (Galatians 6:9;1 Timothy 1:12;Psalm 103:19)