Encouragement & Inspiration

Embracing Unexpected Beginnings As many of you know, our journey into homeschooling didn’t exactly start as part of a grand plan. We were initially skeptical—kicking and screaming is perhaps a more accurate description. Kindergarten seemed like something we couldn’t mess up, so we took it one step at a time. However, with time and experience,...

Most of your days, as mine, are likely consumed with the ordinary cares of life. Between the grocery store and the soccer field, church activities and family dinners, our lives fall into predictable and comfortable rhythms. We are occupied with the mostly pleasant, sometimes laborious tasks of managing a home and training children. We are...

Homeschooling is a commitment that requires your time and effort on many fronts. You want the best for your kids, so you plan meticulously and hit the ground running. Each year starts with joy, much like planting seedlings in the spring. And while it is easy to assess seedlings as they grow, you might question...

This last week was a hard one. A senseless murder on a Charlotte light rail train. A school shooting in Denver. Remembering 9/11 after twenty-four years. And the shocking news of the assassination of thirty-one-year-old Charlie Kirk.Charlie’s sudden and tragic death hit like a thunderclap. It felt unthinkable, unfair, and deeply grievous. Many people have...

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. –Matthew 11:15 Stop Texting While Driving You probably already know this, but you shouldn’t text while driving. The main point of driving is to get you and your passengers safely from point ‘A’ to point ‘B.’ Texting while driving requires you to take your eyes off...

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” — 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) The word steward may sound a bit old-fashioned in today’s world, but it holds deep significance in the Christian life. A steward is someone who manages something that doesn’t belong to them—think of...

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. –Psalm 19:1 Aloha! My family and I recently visited Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu. With the breathtaking ocean and mountains, this peaceful place revealed the beauty of God’s glorious creation...

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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.” —Hebrews 10:24-25 Imagine a marriage where everything happens virtually. You text your spouse “good morning” instead...

Are homeschooled kids weird? As a homeschooling mom for the past 11 years, it is a fair question. I often encounter moms who are curious about homeschooling, but afraid their kids will somehow turn out weird. Or upon meeting my kids, they expressed their pleasant surprise that they seemed “normal.” In reality, homeschooling provides a...

You’ve heard the stories about the homeschooled kids who live somewhere on your block. Maybe you’ve heard that they “run wild” or that they’re brainiacs attending college at the age of 12, but can’t interact with other kids their age. The rumor train is a wild ride. In truth, many homeschoolers spend a lot of...