A Word From The Editor
Welcome back to the January edition of the Leaders e-Newsletter from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! All of us at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine pray that you will be blessed with a good and prosperous New Year in 2007!
This month in the Leaders e-News, Wayne Walker encourages us in his devotional "Firm Foundations" to build our lives and homeschools upon the secure foundation of the Lord and His Word. Teri Ann Berg Olsen also offers an inspirational article on setting goals for the new year in "Homeschool Resolutions."
Have you ever made a lofty resolution for the new year and then not been able to meet it and given up in discouragement? I certainly have. This year, I have endeavored to set manageable goals to work toward, such as enjoying more time for prayer and devotion, spending more time with my husband and children, relaxing more, taking better care of myself, and working toward a simplified life. In short, this new year I hope to spend lots of meaningful moments with my family and decrease the busyness which crowds our days.
So what about you? What are your goals for this upcoming year? Whatever you hope to accomplish this year, we pray you will be blessed of the Lord!
Blessings, Sharra Badgley
Editor, Leaders e-Newsletter
Sharra Badgley is the blessed wife of Michael and mother to Shaiya and Briyah. They make their home in West Central Indiana. She is a freelance author, serves as the Editor for the Leaders e-Newsletter, and is the Indiana Homeschool Nations Coordinator for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
Stop in and visit her at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/SBadgley and www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/Indiana.
Devotional from God's Word: Firm Foundations
By Wayne Walker
As we begin a new year, it is a good time to stop and examine the foundation upon which we are building. "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3). A building might have a lot of problems, but if it the foundation is good it may be worth trying to save. However, no matter how good the building might be, if the foundation is destroyed, the whole structure is usually not worth anything.
Metaphorically speaking, everything in life is built on some kind of foundation. The Lord intended the church to be built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Unfortunately, many religious organizations today no longer truly acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. These are the churches that compromise with atheistic evolution, teach that much of the Bible is a bunch of myths, and accept homosexuality as an alternate lifestyle. The foundations have been destroyed.
The same thing can be true of our individual lives as well. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). We can build our lives upon either the rock of hearing and obeying the Word of Christ or upon the shifting sands of our own way. The rains and wind will not destroy the house built on the rock. Of course, one having built upon the sand might make it through this life without any major problems. Yet that house will crumble and fall in the day of judgment because it was not built on the rock. Do not let the only firm foundation upon which a good life can be built be destroyed.
This principle applies to a home. It was God Himself who said, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). And, "These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children ..." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). A man and a woman may get married. They may have children. And the family may be relatively happy. However, unless it is firmly built upon a strong love for God and a respect for His authority, it may not have the strength to weather the various trials and tribulations that Satan can throw against it. Even in homeschooling, we must be careful not to let the proper foundation of our homes be destroyed. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it ..." (Psalm 127:1).
Wayne S. Walker is a minister, the husband of Karen, and the homeschooling father of Mark and Jeremy.
Visit him at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/Missouri
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Leader to Leader: Homeschool Resolutions
By Teri Ann Berg Olsen
A new year brings hope for new beginnings and new adventures. It's time to forget the year that's gone and celebrate what can be in the days to come. Here's our chance to start over, to do it right this time, to have another chance at success, to simply accomplish what we want to do.
The new year is an excellent time to reflect and make resolutions. A resolution is a serious vow to do something better or to accomplish a goal by taking a firm course of action. If the new year is really going to be any different, it means that you have to actually make some changes, not just empty promises or wishful thinking.
Does your list of resolutions this year look the same as previous years? I can remember all too many resolutions I've made and let slip away. Even with sincere motivation, it isn't always easy to pick a resolution and stick to it. But I still believe that new year's resolutions are worth making. In addition to one's personal resolutions, homeschool new year's resolutions are important to have, too.
Even though it's in the middle of the school year, the new year is a good time to make a fresh start, especially if you feel that things weren't going so well at the end of last semester. The excitement and newness of beginning school in the fall has gradually worn off. It's mid-winter, and with the drudgery of the routine combined with the anxiety of all you have yet to cover, you may feel overwhelmed.
So when you change the calendar, maybe you would like to make some other changes as well. Rearrange the school room, dust off the shelves, get everything organized. Try setting up a new schedule and altering your routine. If you really want this year to be different, you have to make some changes.
The new year is an excellent time for reassessment and mid-course corrections. How did last semester go? What do you want to do differently this year? This time of year should remind you of the accomplishments you have made, as well as the goals that you left undone. Look at it this way--now you have a second chance to do all those things that you didn't get to do yet.
Sure, we're not perfect and we might fail in what we set out to do, but "if we fail to plan, then we plan to fail." If you're so fearful of failure that you never try, then you're not likely to succeed. Sometimes we find it very hard to admit our failures even to ourselves. But owning up to our failures is the first, painful step on the road to learning from them.
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Cincinnati Homeschool Convention
March 22-24, 2007
The Cincinnati Homeschool Convention is a three-day event devoted to the display, discussion and sale of the very best in educational materials and curriculum. We’re also excited to feature an incredible group of speakers that will instruct, inspire and encourage. And we’re excited to have an incredible location, and one that offers FREE PARKING! 150+ sessions and workshops, featuring The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Publishers Paul and Gena Suarez, Susan Wise Bauer, Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler, Dr. Jay Wile, Norm Wakefield and many more!
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Look at the Apostle Paul. As he endeavored to preach the Gospel of Jesus, he was constantly being hindered. He was opposed, persecuted, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, deserted, slandered, scorned, threatened, and imprisoned. Someone else under those circumstances would have given up. Yet Paul was not willing to quit: "Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me" (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV). Paul didn't look back--he looked forward. He didn't let past failures or delays in his work keep him from pursuing a most worthy goal. Keep this in mind as you pursue your own goals in the new year.
Finally, there is no better time than the present to learn to rely more heavily on God's help. Jesus provided Paul with peace, joy, and strength, even when things weren't going very well for him. If during the past year you didn't practice trusting in the Lord as much as you should have, make that your number one resolution. If you place every aspect of your life, including your homeschool, into God's hands, you will be much more likely to have a happy new year.
Sample Homeschool Resolutions
- I will develop a homeschool mission statement and follow it.
- I will re-examine our curriculum choices and make changes if necessary.
- I won't get upset when my homeschool fails to run "smoothly" based on a made-up schedule or pre-set timeline.
- If our homeschool schedule is not practical, I will change it.
- I resolve to keep our schoolroom neat and organized. (Really, I will!)
- I resolve to keep our homeschool records updated and accurate.
- I will not compare my family to other homeschooling families.
- I will not covet the free time that my neighbor has because her children are in public school.
- I resolve to always spend my time and money wisely.
- I resolve to always treat my children respectfully.
- I resolve to acknowledge each of my children's unique strengths and gifts.
- I resolve to use those unit studies that I bought last year and haven't touched yet.
- I resolve to not get discouraged when I have bad days, but to call a friend whom I can count on to empathize with me and encourage me in some way.
- I will watch that fine line between giving up on something too easily, and knowing when it's best to go on to something else for the time being.
- I resolve to assist a beginning homeschool family in getting started.
- I resolve to actively participate in a local homeschool group so that I can learn from the expertise of veteran homeschoolers and support newcomers.
- I resolve to take some regular time off for relaxation and reflection, and to maintain my mental and physical fitness.
- I resolve to do my best to keep my patience and sustain my enthusiasm.
- I resolve to trust in God's help and pray for the Lord to bless my homeschooling efforts.
- Finally, I know I'm not a perfect person, so I won't expect my child to be a perfect student.
Teri Ann Berg Olsen is a home educator, librarian, and author of "Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom." An AFHE member since 1995, she and her husband have always homeschooled their children. In addition to serving as resource coordinator for the Knowledge House Learning Resource Center, Teri is the leader of Desert Hills Christian Homeschoolers and Arizona State Coordinator for The Old Schoolhouse magazine.
Visit her blog: www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/Arizona and website: www.knowledgehouse.info
Stitches & Pins: A Beginning Sewing Book for Girls
Learn to Sew! From plugging in the sewing machine to creating a pair of pajamas, Stitches and Pins guides the novice seamstress with clear, step-by-step sewing instructions.
Fourteen projects, complete with sewing patterns, are useful items the seamstress will be proud to use, wear, or give. Pillowcases, potholders, tote bags, doll blankets, vests, handmade purses: each sewing project focuses on mastering specific sewing techniques and builds upon skills learned. Apparel patterns are for girls sizes 8 to 16.
Combine the projects in Stitches & Pins with these 18" doll E-book patterns to make matching outfits for your 18" doll for a fraction of the price you would pay for ready-made. Only $4.95 for doll instructions and patterns!
Thank you for reading the Leaders e-Newsletter this month. We'll have more articles, inspiration, and practical tips for you next month.
You may forward this e-Newsletter to your friends in its entirety. If you have any comments, please email me at leaders@theoldhomeschoolhouse.com with your feedback. I would love to hear your recommendations on how to make this resource even better.
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