“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”—ay, it is He;

Joseph the carpenter—same trade as me—

I thought as I’d find it—I knew it was here—

But my sight’s getting queer.

I don’t know right where as His shed must ha’ stood—

But often, as I’ve been a-planing my wood,

I’ve took off my hat, just with thinking of He

At the same work as me.

He warn’t that set up that He couldn’t stoop down

And work in the country for folks in the town;

And I’ll warrant He felt a bit pride, like I’ve done,

At a good job begun.

The parson he knows that I’ll not make too free,

But on Sunday I feels as pleased as can be,

When I wears my clean smock, and sits in a pew,

And has taught a few.

I think of as how not the parson hissen,

As is teacher and father and shepherd o’ men,

Not he knows as much of the Lord in that shed,

Where He earned His own bread.

And when I goes home to my missus, says she,

“Are ye wanting your key?”

For she knows my queer ways, and my love for the shed

(We’ve been forty years wed).

[115]

So I comes right away by mysen, with the book,

And I turns the old pages and has a good look

For the text as I’ve found, as tells me as He

Were the same trade as me.

Why don’t I mark it? Ah, many say so,

But I think I’d as lief, with your leaves, let it go:

It do seem that nice when I fall on it sudden—

Unexpected, you know!

CATHERINE C. LIDDELL.

This season of homeschooling highschool has been a joy in many ways yet somewhat bitter sweet at times. The sweet part is realized when each ordinary day reveals a mostly happy crew simply living, learning,  and enjoying normal family life together.  Sharing many meals, reading special books, laughing at an old episode of  The Andy Griffith Show  or enjoying a day at the pool is ordinary but rich. Homeschooling life is good.  Homeschooling highschool allows our family to  work on  and enjoy relationships simply because there is more time….more minutes, hours, and days together…sort of like being on vacation.  I’m amazed to see my boys  grow and change into nice young men who are  truly a delight for my husband and I to spend time with. They make us laugh nearly every day and now that they are older there seems to be a richer fellowship. My husband enjoys teaching them life-skills and  they are truly a help to him. It seems there is always an ongoing project so that there are ample opportunities to teach important skills.  These days my boys know their way around a kitchen so much so that I’ve nearly worked myself out of a job.   A benefit of homeschooling is that you eat three meals a day together…seven days a week. Cooking and  sharing oodles of meals together and with other homeschool families is something to be treasured because this will one day end.  All of this time during highschool allows my husband and I to see our young men making mostly good choices; being quite  independent and self- governed throughout the day.  I rejoice in this!

However these highschool years are somewhat concerning because there is the realization that  time is running out and many important goals have not been accomplished.  Learning never ends and Christ will continue to  teach us forever but my time to choose curriculum, read-aloud books, lessons, and plan activities is quickly coming to an end. I do not have 10 more years to work on writing projects or to read all of the Lamplighter Books on my list. There are important world view lessons, apologetics, economics, and more that have not been adequately addressed.  Although we will tackle a government unit senior year, I hoped we would have more time to delve into a Constitutional study.  Sadly, there are simply not enough days to fulfill all of the goals that I thought were important.

When I realize that our homeschooling years are nearly over….I can work myself into a panic over this thought.  The years are slipping through my fingers and there is still so much learning and understanding to be done. Homeschooling highschool is sometimes bitter-sweet because it is a time of reflecting and evaluating. You often second guess yourself and question the methods you’ve used.  Perhaps an un-schooling approach would have allowed for a “love of learning.” Perhaps a classical approach would have produced enthusiastic readers. Maybe I allowed family life to get in the way of our studies….relatives visiting, illnesses, and hospitality preparation often  took the place of studying. Maybe my priorities need some tweaking? Maybe they do not.  Who knows…only God knows.

Anyway my point is that although the rewards of homeschooling are great, they are not necessarily what the homeschooling “professionals” say that they are.  You may sit and read books to your children every day for years and years and they may never develop a passion for reading. Reading books provides an opportunity to train, disciple, and discuss…but it may not produce a bookworm.   Years of copywork like Charlotte Mason suggests may produce somewhat better penmanship and provide lovely books of verses and poems to treasure for years,  but there is no guarantee your child will become  a good writer simply from copying segments of superior writing.  Faithfully following a certain curriculum will not necessarily produce the results promised. It is a comfort to know that sometimes a child will  have “caught” something that was never taught.   For example, my oldest son is a terrific speller in spite of the fact that we dropped our spelling curriculum early on. This must have been a gift from God because I certainly did not teach much spelling.

Homeschooling highschool has been the right choice for our family and   has been gratifying and wonderful beyond words. Homeschooling highschool has been  important because it has allowed more  opportunities to pass on values and worldview lessons to our children . Although our highschool age children are nearly adults they still need direction and supervision because there is the inherent  immaturity that goes hand in hand with youth and lack of experience.

Indeed, homeschooling  is a lifestyle that offers so many rewards and is a wise choice for most families. Although this is difficult to do,   I would encourage new homeschool moms  to trust their own instincts though more than  some homeschooling pioneer or author.  I would tell them to prayerfully consider that perhaps the Lord has has very particular or even more worthy lessons for your family than the homeschool speaker has on his list for you. Maybe God has a different plan for your children. Trusting in God is hard sometimes however the words of a  wise homeschool mom still ring in my ear. “Jesus is the teacher in our family,” she told me, “He is in charge of our learning after all.” My children belong to Him and I trust that He has created them with certain bents, strengths and even weaknesses which will be used for His glory.

The rewards of homeschooling are not seen immediately because they are eternal. Mentoring your child is actually multi-generational if you consider that this child will one-day have his own children.  I’ve heard others remark that they saw much of the fruit of their homeschooling years when their children had their own homes and families.  Truly, the successes of homeschooling cannot always be measured while still in the trenches, and besides, there is no test to measure a family learning together… orchestrated by divine providence.   So although this season is somewhat tinged with questions and doubts, it is still wonderful….I would not trade these years of homeschooling highschool for the world.

A bit of history that is still relevant today because it shows how we need to keep the government in check and not allow taxes to steal our liberties.

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And the pleasant land.

Thus the little minutes,

Humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages

Of eternity.

EBENEZER COBHAM BREWER.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

This clip from Prager University is one worth watching and then discussing.  Moreover, it is one that we  homeschoolers should carefully consider.  Why do we homeschool anyway?  What do we hope to pass on to our children through homeschooling? Is academic success our goal?

Above all, my  hope is that my children choose to walk with Christ all of their days and homeschooling provides one way to pass this faith on through living out family life together at home.  Homeschooling allows more time together period…and this time does not involve interference from the government…..unless I have hooked up with a charter school or other public school at home program.  Of course,  there are no guarantees in this life and each of our precious children will decide for themselves if they will walk with Christ or not.

Dennis Prager makes a good point in this video.  What do you think he will say is the most important thing to pass on to your children?

What does he say is the most important thing in life?

Please comment on this one….I’d love to hear your thoughts.

~Anne

My husband and I viewed this entire movie with another family several years ago.  Although it was quite sobering and shocking at times, the information was essential and valuable especially when  educating folks on the history of the public schools.  This film may not be appropriate for your entire family.  My children did not watch this….but may some time in the future.  You can purchase the entire movie at  The Indoctrinationmovie.com

“Why do people take or keep their children out of school? Mostly for three reasons: they think that raising their children is their business not the government’s; they enjoy being with their children and watching and helping them learn, and don’t want to give that up to others; they want to keep them from being hurt, mentally, physically, and spiritually.”
― John Holt

Have some fun with your family singing this poem by Joanna Fuchs to the tune of the Battle Hymn.  Instead of singing “Glory, glory, Halleluiah…sing  “We the people have to fix it.”

When our government keeps growing
Past it’s legal boundaries,
When our laws just hurt the people,
But officials live in ease,
If we cannot get our leaders
To protect our liberties,
The American people will.

Chorus:

We, the people, have to fix it,
When our country is in trouble.
Government declines to do it,
So the American people will.

When our taxes give us nightmares,
And the total makes us flinch,
When our businesses can’t profit
‘Cause the regulations pinch,
When we tell them it’s not working
But they will not give an inch,
The American people will.

(Sing chorus again.)

Our country’s going bankrupt;
Do you think they even care?
They’re creating giant debt now,
Printing money from thin air.
They think no one can stop them,
But they’d better all beware;
The American people will.

(Sing chorus again.)

We’ll restore the Constitution
Bring back power to the States,
Give the people back the money
Congress misappropriates.
For our drunk-with-power leaders,
Only joblessness awaits;
The American people will.

(Sing chorus again.)

By Joanna Fuchs

Lyric by Joanna Fuchs
www.poemsource.com

No doubt about it. This journey on earth is inundated with trials and tribulations…stress, sorrow, pain, illness, heartache, and more.    As long as we live trouble will be there to greet us.  Job reminds us ,   “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1)  Okay…we can all agree….our time on earth is quite short  and full of grief. This is a given.

Some trials are powerfully difficult indeed.   Seeing your folks pass on or losing a  loved one ranks among the most heart wrenching trials.  Losing a child would…well…there are no words to describe this sort of pain.  I can imagine it is hundred times worse than any other. Then there are the ordinary things to deal with like illnesses, financial struggles, unemployment, relationship issues, chronic pain,  difficulties at work.  Even more ordinary…..problems with children…struggling learners,  disobedience, disagreements, and all that goes with family life.    Even more ordinary… losing things, traffic, housework, the telephone ringing all day… more struggling.  Does it ever end? Not in our lifetime.

What about the good times.  When do they come?  Indeed, life has so much joy as well.  New babies added to a family are probably a highlight…holiday gatherings can be really wonderful.  Then there are the ordinary days when great things happen such as finally learning to ride a bike without training wheels,  learning to swim, to read…understanding difficult math concepts.   Now this is a reason to celebrate…perhaps with a bowl of ice-cream. 🙂 Sharing a meal together, cooking together and making music together. Ordinary family life can bring such joy and peace sometimes.  So we agree that life will offer good and bad days…both joy and sorrow.

Do you remember reading the story Old Yeller?  Remember the boy Travis and his old yeller dog?  He grew to love that dog more than anything else in the world.  Remember how he felt when he had to shoot Old Yeller because the dog contracted rabies?  Travis was  destroyed and completely torn up by this. He said it was just as if he was shooting one of his own folks. Travis didn’t care about anything anymore…He didn’t even want to care about the new horse that his dad brought him. He did not want to have joy again.  I love the conversation between Travis and his very wise Papa at the end of this story.

Here’s what Papa says to Travis  after he lost his dog: ”It’s not a thing you forget. I don’t guess it’s a thing that you ought to forget. What I mean is, things like that happen. They may seem mighty cruel and unfair, but that’s how life is part of the time. But that isn’t the only way life is. A part of the time, it’s mighty good. And a man can’t afford to waste all the good part, worrying about all the bad parts. That makes it all bad...You understand?”

Travis’ papa understood what Job understood.  Life is short and full of troubles.  We better try to be happy during the good times.  We had better not dwell too long  on  bad times or our lives will be all bad…all the time.

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Not many poems grab me; but this one from a lovely little book entitled “Poems for Memorization”  did.  I hope it grabs you too.

“Wilt thou follow Me?”

The Saviour asked.

The road looked bright and fair;

And filled with youthful hope and zeal

I answered, “Anywhere.”

“Wilt thou follow me?”

Again He asked.

The road looked dim ahead;

But I gave one glance at His glowing face:

“To the end, dear Lord, ” I said.

“Wilt thou follow Me?”

I almost blanched,

For the road was rough and new.

But I felt the grip of His steady hand

And it thrilled me through and through.

“Still followest thou?”

‘Twas a tender tone,

And it thrilled my inmost heart.

I answered not, but He drew me close,

And I knew we would never part.

This simple  song written years ago was from my heart.  Noticing that  our God given liberties were being taken away, I felt compelled to sing about it.  Sadly, it is our proud progressive friends who supposedly believed in liberty and freedom, who are undermining  it each day. Oh how I would love to have folks sing about freedom again…only this time understanding that it is God-given.  Both the Republicans and Democrats continue to expand and grow our government which enslaves us more and more.  I believe it was Dennis Prager who stated, “The bigger the Government, the smaller the citizen.”  This song is dedicated to all of those representatives who preach liberty and conservatism  but vote in socialist policies.  Recently, in the news,we hear of a not so wealthy tea party candidate, David Brat,  defeating a wealthy progressive.  It sort of renews hope  again doesn’t it? I hope you enjoy my simple song. 🙂

An Obituary printed in the London Times…..Absolutely Dead Brilliant!!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

– Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
– Why the early bird gets the worm;
– Life isn’t always fair;
– And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
– I Know My Rights
– I Want It Now
– Someone Else Is To Blame
– I’m A Victim
– Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

It is
the VETERAN,
 not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

Would we be outraged if an assignment given to our child included reading material saying that the September 11th, attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York City, actually never occurred?  What if our child was told to write an argumentative essay on whether the American Revolution was actually a hoax or not. Perhaps they should write about the Vietnam War and argue if it was simply all hype.  What about slavery in America? Did slavery actually occur in America or was it some sort of publicity stunt?

One California school district assignment given under the new Common Core standards was supposed to be a lesson in critical thinking. The students were asked to write a paper on the Holocaust. The 18-page assignment instructions included three sources that students were told to use, including one that stated that the gassings in concentration camps were a “hoax” and that no evidence has shown Jews died in gas chambers.
Clearly, this project had an agenda attached, with it’s primary goal being to change the facts of history and indoctrinate students into believing that that the atrocities of the Holocaust may not have actually occurred. The Common Core essay question was, “Write an argumentative essay in which you explain whether or not you believe the Holocaust was an actual event in history or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain.”

Parents, are we prepared to have our children indoctrinated, manipulated, and told what to think? In order to avoid outrageous assignments such as this, please consider homeschooling.

Check out this lesson on possessive nouns given to students in California. Any thoughts?

Directions: Make each sentence less wordy by replacing the underlined words with a possessive noun phrase.

1. The job of a president is not easy.  A president’s job is not easy.

2. The people of a nation do not always agree. A nation’s people do not always agree.

3. The choices of the president affect everyone. The president’s choices affect everyone.

4. He makes sure the laws of the country are fair.  He makes sure the country’s laws are fair.

5. The commands of government officials must be obeyed by all.      Government officials’ commands must be obeyed by all.

6. The wants of an individual are less important than the well-being of the nation. An individual’s wants are less important than the nation’s well-being.