Benefits of Homeschooling

I was homeschooled from pre-k to graduation, and I'm here to write a post from the homeschooler's perspective! Okay, please stay calm, because I am not going to bash public school, or say that homeschooling is the only way to go. I know there are some bad homeschool situations, and there are some wonderful public schools (my husband teaches at a great one!). I was asked to talk about the benefits of homeschooling from my point of view, with the key words being, my point of view. Each homeschool experience is unique, and is one of the things I like about it. I plan on homeschooling my kids in the future, but I don't think you are doing it wrong if you don't. It's your decision!

So, benefits of homeschooling:
#1. Socialization: What! You thought that homeschoolers have no socialization skills or opportunaties?! Like I said before, every person's experience (and personality!) is different. I know a family that lives quite a ways from town, and only hangs out with people at church and at home with their immediate and extended family. I also know a family who homeschooled because they travel and sing at so many places, and this gives them the opportunity to get to know hundreds and hundreds of people. I wasn't involved in sports or anything (first, because I hated playing sports, and second, because my parents have 6 kids and driving 6 different kids to all different sports events can be a nightmare) but I have always been outgoing, and as a teenager was super involved with our local homeschool association group. I love the fact that I have friends that are 17 and friends who are 60, and that it was that way for me growing up. It didn't matter the age, and I never was intimidated (however, I was taught to respect my elders) by 'grown-ups'.

#2. Having curriculum that fit me:
When I was a teenager I loved, loved, loved to write. I would write poems, short stories and even start (only finished two) novels. My mom caught on to my love for writing and found an English curriculum that taught me everything an 11th grader need to learn while getting to write a novel! Math and I never saw eye to eye, but because Mom saw my love for literature and history, she allowed me to read biographies and historical literature, and only lightly use stuffy textbooks (My brother, on the other hand doesn't think textbooks are stuffy, and actually quite likes them, so another instance where we got curriculum that fit us!). Actually being able to read literature and biographies for history caused me to have a greater love for it, and I still enjoy watching documentaries and reading about history (and squeal when the doctor goes back in time!).

#3. The lack of bullies and negative socialization:
I have a friend who's son is dealing with teasing and bullying at school, and it makes me so thankful to have been homeschooled. I'm not saying that my life was perfect, because when I was a teenager I did go through the normal 'be friends with a group of girls who talk about you behind your back, or who love to create drama whenever possible' stage, but what I went through was pretty minor compared to some. I also heard the 'sex talk' from my mom, and not from young teenage girls who know way too much, and yet so little.

#4. Having God be the center of our schooling:
It was because of a homeschool Bible lesson at the age of 6 that I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and every morning we continued to study, learn and grow as a Christian.

These are just a few of the reasons I loved homeschooling. Like I said before, everyone has their own unique experiences and opinions. These are mine, and I hope it helped you perhaps see it in a different light, or be encouraged as a homeschool mom to know that hey, maybe this homeschooling thing will work out after all. Hope this helped and blessed!

Oh, and one of my favorite videos from Blimey Cow about homeschoolers!

Blog Post #30 and 2000 views!!

Actually it's about 1,900 views, but I figured it was close enough to do a special post! I want to first say thank you to all who have taken the time to read my blog. My goal in these blog posts is for your walk with God to become stronger and closer (and to perhaps help you with some recipe ideas from time to time)!

So...there is a surprise in this post. You decide the next topic! You can comment on my Facebook wall, or comment on this post any topic, or any question you may have. I will then randomly choose (put your questions/names in a hat or something) the topic and then blog about it in the next post.

I would prefer the questions or topics to be of a biblical nature, however, if you want to ask questions about what it's like being a youth pastor's wife, my life in Thailand, or even about daily routine, etc., ask away.

I can't wait to see what questions you may have!

Everything Rides on Hope Now

I've heard the song 'Hope Now' by Addison Road many, many times, but the other day something really stood out to me. My name is Hope, and I heard the phrase, 'everything rides on hope, now' and thought 'what if everything rode on me and what I did?' Basically that would be horrible. But thankfully I don't have to worry about going through life alone, because things aren't riding on my performance, my abilities, or my power. God is in control, and he will never make you or me face things alone. I know this post might be short, but my goal is for you to be encouraged and know that whatever you may be going through right now, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you don't have to go through it by yourself.

Here are some verses to take comfort from:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9  
Be bold and courageous to share the gospel with others, and do what God has called you to do, because God will be there with you and for you!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Be Courageous! Be Encouraged! Those who trust in Jesus Christ can gain comfort, a shield, and strength, because not only is He on your side, but He is with you!

Look what I did!

Facebook has given me a lot of inspiration for blog posts, and today is no exception. This month is pastor appreciation month, and I encourage you to do something for your pastor (and his wife!) to show how much they mean to you. Unfortunately the person on Facebook decided to do something for their pastor and to post in great detail what they were going to do. It really felt like they were saying 'Please! Look at me and see all the wonderful things I'm going to do, because, if I'm going to do a good deed, I would like to get as much praise from it as I can'.
Now I want to say first off, that doing good things for people is wonderful! It is also human nature to want a pat on the back when we get done, but it's not God's way of doing a good deed. You see, as a Christian, if we do a good deed for others to praise us, then we are doing it for all the wrong reasons! We are supposed to be doing everything for the honor and glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31)
Jesus talked about this in his 'Sermon on the Mount'. He was talking about a people group called the Pharisees, who looked religious on the outside, but were very evil on the inside. This is not saying that those who let people know of their good deeds are evil, actually they are probably doing it with good intentions, I am just stating the fact that it's not God's way of doing things. I must admit, I've told people what I've done a time or two, so I could get recognition, but when I did that, I was doing the good deed for the praise, and not for God anymore.

Jesus said:
'Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.'

Jesus said that when we let others know what we have done, then we get our reward then and there. If we wait for a heavenly reward, how much sweeter will it be! So the next time you want to support a missionary, help your pastor, volunteer at a homeless shelter, or when you want to fast, or be in prayer, don't be quick to let everyone know what you are doing (I mean, if you are trying to raise awareness for a cause, I understand that you want to let people know about it, but it doesn't mean you have to have an attitude of 'look what I've done'). Do good for Christ, and let him be the reward-er! If it seems like you will never get your reward, remember this verse:
'And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.' 
Galatians 6:9

Being a Mary in a Martha World

At the church I attend, not only am I the youth pastor's wife, but I'm also the pianist. When I first started playing for the church I would get extremely nervous, cringe over every missed placed note, and just the other night I became completely embarrassed when I started out in the wrong key (in my defense, it was one of those songs that ended in a 'alternate choir ending' in a higher key)! I really want to get it perfect, because I am playing for so many people, oh yes, and for God.
Before I ended the 'back to the basics' series, I felt led to talk about Mary and Martha in this post.
 Luke 10: 38-42 says: 
 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

So, let's delve into this story by looking at these two ladies.

Martha

I think we can all relate to Martha, I mean, wouldn't you want to make sure the house was clean, the best meal prepared, and eaten on the best china, if you knew that Jesus was coming to your house? I get very wrapped up in making sure the house is clean for even my ten year old piano students! There is nothing wrong with Martha wanting her house to look nice and welcoming, but something happened to Martha. She got distracted (v. 40). She got so wrapped up with making sure that things were perfect, that she forgot the reason Jesus came! When I want all my my notes to be perfect, I forget the reason I'm playing them!

But what about Mary? Wasn't she slacking for not being as busy for the Lord as Martha?

Mary

When Mary was first introduced it said that she was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to His teachings. She acknowledged Jesus' wisdom, and understood 'one thing is necessary'. Mary wasn't worried or distracted with all the little things that needed to be done to make everything 'perfect'. She just wanted to be still and know Jesus better.

As Christians we are all about being busy for God, and sometimes we confuse being busy for God for being more mature spiritually. Even though serving on the Sunday School committee, volunteering for community service, and hosting a ladies' Christmas party may be wonderful things to be involved in, don't let it distract you from the most important things, worshiping God, reading His word, and prayer. We need to be still (Psalm 46:10), sit at His feet, and get to know more about our wonderful Savior, Jesus!

Back to the Basics: Giving

I believe this will be the last post for the Back to the Basics series. If you missed any of them, you can go here: http://ayouthpastorswife.blogspot.com/search/label/Back%20to%20the%20Basics%20Series, and check it out! The reason this series is called back to the basics, is because the topics are a little on the 'no duh' side. We all know to pray, go to church, and we all know to give! There are a few things that are important to realize when giving, like:

Nothing belongs to us!

When you get your paycheck, it's hard to see part of it go, when you can think of all the things you could buy with it. When the church has a work day on Saturday, it's hard to give it up, when you can think of all the things you could do with that day. Why is it so hard? It may be because as humans we love to be in control and in ownership of our own lives, time and money. As Christians we have no reason to worry, since God is in control and knows what's best for our lives, but we do, and I think it's because we are grasping at having control. What we have to realize, is that it's not our life, our time, or our money to begin with (Psalm 24:1, James 1:17), it's God's. When we give up our time and money, we are only giving back what is already His.

Do I have to give money?

One time the missionary at the church I was attending, was teaching on tithes and offerings, and was stressing the importance of giving God at least 10% of what we are paid. A lady that was not very well to do raised her hand and asked that if she didn't have very much money, couldn't she just wait and give when she did have money? His answer was thought provoking, if your employer told you, I don't have enough money for your salary this month, can I just pay you when I have enough money? It may be difficult, but if we are given money, it's God's and the best thing we can do is to give some back to him!(Matt. 6:19-21) Especially in America, money takes prominence in everything. It is our god, our idol, and in the verses in Matthew 6, it shows us that whatever we make our treasure, there our hearts will be(Matt. 6:24). If God is our treasure, then we will give to back to Him to show where our treasure lies. This is why that just giving time, or just giving your talent (although good things to give!) is not enough(Prov. 3:9-10).

God loves a cheerful giver

That phrase comes from this verse: Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
This verse is pretty self explanatory, and when we give cheerfully, God will bless us(Luke 6:38)! It may not be exactly in our time frame, and maybe not even until we get to Heaven, but He will bless us. When I give cheerfully, I see God work in my life, and I have seen him bless me so much. The blessings might not always be immediate, but you will be so glad you obeyed God and gave back to Him.

If you give to your church and missionaries, you can be a part of what God is doing through them! Who knows who might come to know Christ because you decided to give!

Back to the Basics: Going to Church

Note: Much of this post has been inspired by this article: http://bible-truth.org/whyatten.htm. Even though it may seem long, it is very good and will go into more detail than I will here.

It's Sunday Morning and you look at the alarm and gasp to see that it's already 8:30! You rush around trying to get ready, while you really wish you were back in bed sleeping, or perhaps outside in the beautiful sunshine, or maybe in the living room feet propped and watching TV. You do like the preacher, and the Sunday School class that you have, so you speed out the door and head out to church. After church you grab a lunch and settle on the couch, begin to dose and don't wake up until late in the afternoon. Whoops, you overslept, but that's okay, because Sunday night isn't as big of a thing; people will understand that, besides anyone hardly ever goes.

As you know I am the youth pastor's wife, and on Sunday Mornings we run about 15 students (sometimes up to 20!). On Sunday nights, we have been quite excited to have 4 or 5, since for the longest time, we had only 2 students who were faithful Sunday Night goers. I tell you this to say, that there is a great difference and decline in those who attend Sunday Morning and those who attend Sunday Night. I have this feeling that they feel like Sunday night isn't that big of a priority. Let's delve into this issue by first looking into a well known verse on attending church:
¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Church isn't all about me

What! Yes, Church isn't for just sitting on a pew soaking in a message and going home. It's for 'stirring up one another to love and good works...encouraging one another'. When you skip out on church, you are basically saying that you don't care about other believers and their relationship with Christ. I often get caught up in staying in my little sphere, but Christ calls me to be intentional in helping others love and do good works. 
This is why just watching a church service on TV doesn't cut it. Church isn't about the building, the sermon (although, going to a church where the true gospel is preached and sermons are biblically correct is extremely important), or the carpet, it's about fellowship and encouraging fellow believers. 

Sunday and Wednesday Nights are important too!

'Not neglecting to meet together' isn't talking about just Sunday mornings (although Sunday Mornings are very important!). You see, the way you live your life is all about priorities. If you watch TV instead of going to church on Sunday nights, then you are saying that TV is more important than church. You may not think it's a big deal, but remember that people are watching you. What you make as a priority will be watched by the saved and unsaved alike (and I think most importantly, your children). We have been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ (Heb. 10:-21) and we should want to 'draw near in assurance of faith...and not neglect to meet together'.
 
If you would like to learn more about the church, and how it functions, 1 Corinthians is a great book to read. My challenge is, will you make a commitment to attend church every time there is a scheduled meeting? This is not something that God calls someone to do, but He commands it!