Intentional Parenting

Of all the ways we strive to make our homeschool journey successful, one detail should always rise above the rest; a focus on love.  Love may not solve every challenge we face, but it will make all the difference along the way.  The lack of a loving atmosphere can ruin our good intentions. We love...

“What I Did On My Summer Vacation.” As cliché as that sounds, I distinctly remember each September (back in the days when school started after Labor Day) writing an account of the most memorable events from the previous June through August. I typically discussed the family vacation, afternoons spent at the pool, and evenings playing...

Ah, the summer memories from my childhood! I  don’t ever remember ever wearing shoes during the summer months. I remember cool, foggy mornings with early birds heralding the dawn of a new day. I remember sleeping in, and I mean late. Nowadays that means 7:30 or 8 o’clock, but during my childhood, it meant pushing...

Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day. . . . They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. (Deuteronomy 32:46-47) The fifth book of the Bible, the book of Deuteronomy, is based on a series of sermons delivered by Moses about God’s law. An early Greek...

What is a prayer puzzle? A prayer devotional based on Jeremiah 33:3. Life can be like a puzzle. Prayer is your lifeline to the Father; he will help us when life is challenging. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3) Puzzles...

Answering the Call to Homeschool Choosing to educate our kids at home is a radical, out-of-the-box, and arguably strange decision. It’s a decision most of us have made with more than a little fear and trepidation. We thought about it, prayed about it, fought it, denied it, avoided it, put it off, researched it, defended...

The home, and its surrounding community, used to be the center of family life, a place pulsing with productivity and learning. A lively home is hard to find now. How can you cultivate one? Let’s find out!  When my brother and I started school at home, we had already experienced both public and private schools....

There are plenty of good reasons to educate your children at home, and I’ve put together a top ten list that’s intended for fun but is true nonetheless. Counting down from number ten: 10. Your kids will never miss the bus. 9. Praying and reading the Bible are allowed. 8. You don’t have to make...

Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:37–38) How do you spend the first hour of each morning? Do you pray in...

The roiling waters of the teen years catch many parents by surprise. It did me. Fortunately, our heavenly Father promises to give us the wisdom we need when parenting teens and to shoot these rapids with skill and faith. But first we need to understand what is fueling the uproar—as if you don’t remember. Your...