We have hit a milestone with our eldest child- his first resume! He spent a couple of hours cranking this up and his portfolio to be submitted to companies for his upcoming 3rd year Internship. I'll be totally honest. I am filled with pride to see listed under "Education" the word "Homeschooled". I tell you, every year we homeschooled was a step into the unknown. But at the end of every year, we can just look back and see the grace of God. And here we are. A Resume!
Now, if you were a potential employer, and you see "Homeschooled" on that Resume, what would cross your mind? Hopefully, in the years to come, as more and more Singaporean homeschoolers make their mark in society, the word would mean "expect to meet someone who is exceptional!"
Here, I speak to homeschool parents who have decided to homeschool into the teen years.
If I was to rank the greatest advantage that we have as homeschoolers, it would be the autonomy of TIME to allocate as we are led to develop our children. It could be time spent in anything, or nothing at all. (There is value in "nothing-ness" too. Creative endeavours often come out of play and experimentation.) These activities can all become items your child can put into his/her Resume and stand out as a very different kind of education.
Many, if not most public schooled kids at this stage, will list the programs that their secondary school provided for them. Well and good.
Imagine the Resume of a homeschooler that can list dressmaking (tailor-making dresses for clients), or calligraphy (running workshops to teach calligraphy)- business and entrepreneurship in real life--profits and losses action, not a school project!
Then there are also the homeschoolers who focus on music, going to many Masterclasses and concerts and performing? Or the homeschoolers who dedicate their time to sports excellence (junior national teams), or drama (staging a musical)? Oh yes, and homeschoolers who organise themselves to launch community fund raisers.
These are actual real life examples of our homeschooling friends, God bless their endeavours! All these put into a Resume speaks volumes of individuals who are forward thinking, entrepreneurial, passionate learners, possessing great leadership qualities, hard working, etc.
See Asher's work experience below. He has started a freelance photography business since age 17. And that began with taking lots of photographs on our 6 month Road Trip when he was 15. And before that, he was the camera man and video editor of our zany homeschooling videos. Ah, our happy homeschooling days when the kids were younger.
So, my point to homeschool parents who have decided to homeschool into the teen years... use your autonomy of time to your advantage and let the kids go out and have a fun time growing their interests and pursue it to where-ever it may lead. And it doesn't mean we have to break our banks to do this for them either. What a blessing to see our children blossom under our loving encouragement. Each child is so unique in their talents so let their portfolios reflect that gifting!
He listed his baby sister as his hobby. LOL.
I don't know if that was the way Resumes should look these days. I hope so!
But I think his portfolio speaks louder than the Resume. I post a few pages of his portfolio just for us to enjoy his art work. :) Thanks for reading!!!
Christian parenting. You should know this by now. I blog from a profoundly Christian point of view. And I know, it's the end of a crazily long, non-stop busy day at home with the kids. If you were to list all the things you did today, from cleaning out the washing machine dirt catcher thingy, to cleaning snot from the baby's nose for the up-teenth time, to cooking a slap- together meal in 30 mins... I'm sure the list will run very long.
You don't need a post like this right now. You just need to sit back and pretend you were invisible.
But I was recently hit by this thought and so I decided to put it in a long post. (short posts are reserved for Facebook and long ones for the blog. heheheh.) Let's humour me and over generalise things and imagine two parenting "strategies": the Shepherd or the Sheep Dog parenting. Having by now gone through 16 plus years of this parenting journey, and still currently handling a 4 year old, and the whole range of 6 kids right up to age 16, I can say, I have been both Shepherd and Sheep Dog, sometimes both in the same day! (I'm not very sane anymore, as you can see. Somewhat schizophrenic from mothering for 16 years.)
The Shepherd. The Bible uses this analogy of the Shepherd at several instances. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:11I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.We also recall that well loved Psalms 23: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
A good shepherd is someone who is concerned for his sheep and will do what he can to ensure the safety, protection, comfort and utmost care for them. Not only that, he plans ahead, looking for good pasture, watering holes for the sheep to be well fed and watered. He is always looking out for any sheep that goes a stray or hurts itself.
To translate that into parenting terms, I would liken a Shepherding parent to be one who cares for the well-being of her child- but not just the physical, mental and material well-being. Too many parents stop at that. If their kids have their designer clothes/shoes/bags, have eaten their favourite macDonald's meal, have gone for their tuition and other extra classes, many parents will pat themselves on the back and say they have done a great job. What, that twice a year overseas trip surely must score some good parent points too.
The years of growing and discipling the young ones that God has given to me and my hubby has taught me about the importance of Shepherding our child's hearts. So this is caring for their spiritual well-being. It entails a careful and consistent teaching of God's word and His ways to them in opening the Bible to them daily, making His word our way of life. And more so, being a good model to them by walking the talk. It is so important: open a physical King James Bible and read it to them. They have to have their own physical "swords" and have a highlighter ready to note important verses, commit them to memory! Don't settle for kiddy substitutes. The children need to learn that this is God's word and it has precious truths and we can rest our lives upon it!
2 Tim 3: 15-17And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
If you as a parent don't know what the Bible says, then please by ALL means, be a good student of the Word yourself. There are no short-cuts. You can't give what you don't have.
This morning, as a family, we were reading Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. We took the opportunity to dwell a little more on this topic of drinking. Our children already know that we abstain from all alcohol. But it was a great opportunity to open the bible again and show to them the specific verses that warn us about what devastation wine does to lives. We do have a young man in our household who might be entering National Service really soon (counting down the years!) and he (in all likelihood) will be having to face a drinking culture in there and he needs to have a good biblical foundation to stand on, not just "my mommy says I shouldn't drink."
Shepherding parents have a strong desire to bring their children to the Good Shepherd and He can be found through an abiding love for studying the Bible. Do you believe in the power of the WORD itself? If you do, then you would want to put it into the hands of your precious children.
Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Pray for your children. Pray because it truly is a fight for their souls that we have to wage on their behalf, on our knees.
Now, I get to contrast Shepherd parenting to Sheep Dog parenting- the one who nips and barks. The sheepdog's main task is to get the sheep from point A to point B as a group without too much distraction or detours. Time is of the essence. The sheepdog tends to use force and pain to get his job done, like nipping and biting the sheep.
Why are we always in a hurry? We need to get things done quickly but kids are slow, distracted, clumsy and at the worst time possible, they will break out in bouts of uncooperativeness. And that's usually when Sheep Dog parenting kicks in. Shouting, threatening, pinching, hitting: all the things that you never imagined you would do to a child before you had children. Suddenly, you realise that you weren't as patient or saintly as you thought you were. Children have such a way of bringing out the best and the worst in their parents!
I don't want to dwell here too long. I know you feel lousy enough as it is. You think you have failed as a parent. I'll just share a not-so-secret secret to overcoming Sheep Dog parenting- spend time with the Lord at the start of the day. Spend time in the Word to refresh your soul to allow Him to speak to you through his Word. And then spend time in prayer. Sheep Dog parenting, I suppose, is the equivalent of acting in the flesh.
Romans 8: 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Feed your spirit daily and you will be able to do the spiritual work of Shepherding your child's heart.
It's no. 1's 16th Birthday!!!! We're calling it a "Psalty" 16 coz it's not a sweet 16 for our musical boy. haha....
It is so clichéd but it is so true! The years truly fly by. I first started the blog in feb 2007 when my firstborn was 7 years old to share with fellow Singaporeans about homeschooling in Singapore. Here's my first ever blog post. My intention was to de-mystify what homeschooling is like because most Singaporeans don't know what a joy homeschooling can be! My blog is a compository of our homeschooling days of the kid's childhood and their learning adventures.
Looking at back at my posts, being a young mother and without experience, I often mused about how my son will turn out. (It is always the first child we are most uncertain about because with him, we are always treading on new ground we have never tread before- the first guinea pig in everything.) There was often a sense of the Unknown how he will turn out but it was always accompanied with a sense of quiet confidence because God's promise of help and wisdom being with us as parents who follow Him.
I'm still wondering where my butterball went? This is my favourite picture of my firstborn baby. It was taken by papa one quiet evening at home. It was quiet because back then, it was only the three of us at home.
Fast forward to today, our son's 16th birthday. We are so so glad to say we have a strong relationship with him. What do I mean by "strong"? We are on the same page on our values and when there are differences, we are open in our communication and are able to work it out. There is absolute trust, honesty and an open communication. Most importantly, he is growing in his own personal faith in the God of the Bible and he desires to walk close to God. God has answered our prayers! Who says teenagers will go through rebellious years?
No. 1 having fun photographing his siblings and friends in Wisconsin. Chicken throwing game. No chickens were hurt.
Would you like to know how we arrived at this blessed time of reaping a wonderful fellowship and relationship with our eldest, now aged 16?
1) Good biblical teaching right from the start. We had good teaching, godly examples, good books which we learned from. Other families at Maranatha Baptist Church have the same testimonies.
2) Planning ahead, forward thinking parenting. Train at toddlerhood to prepare for childhood. Train at childhood to prepare for the teen years. Train at teen years to prepare for adulthood. Right now, we are encouraging him in his future career. Our goal is for him to be able to get married young and support his family.
3) Staying faithful in our own walk with God, personally as well as in church. He has grown up in our life choice but that alone doesn't ensure that he will stay in it. We have always emphasized a genuine salvation experience and in the more recent years, a real, personal relationship with God. And we are so glad, it is evident that he has both. It is truly a joy that we can't place any value on.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Soup and marshmallows on a cold night in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Those were such wonderful bonding moments we will never forget.
Homeschooling has been the very best thing that we have done as a family!
Homeschooling has enabled us to respond to each of our children's whole person needs: physical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, schooling needs and also talent nurturing.
Homeschooling has enabled us to set aside 6 months of our lives to step out as a family to go on a road trip around America. That decision has been so pivotal in helping no. 1 understand himself better. Travelling for 6 months (june- dec 2015) was a great journey of self-discovery for him.
For those who are still not in the loop about what's been happening with our family, do check out the Facebook page, 6 Kids and a Pop-Up Camper.
Most of the photos there were taken and edited by him. And the amazing thing is that he is mostly self-taught. He has shown himself to be a confident and passionate self-learner and he works with dedication. I'm so proud of him!
Our intrepid young photographer taking on the streets of New York City.
How many 15 year olds can say they have a photo tour of 43 US states under their belt? Or that they are juggling publishing a 300 page photo book while preparing for O levels? I say this not to boast about ourselves but just to point out how much flexibility homeschooling offers us to respond to our various needs. If I boast, I boast only in God who has led us and enabled us.
We are ever staring at the end of our precious homeschooling days with our firstborn but we are ever cherishing the moments we have together as a family, and looking forward to more adventures as a family even as we, by the grace of God, step into doing a family business. Together. <3
Our family with our pop-up camper at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Love you, son. Happy Birthday!
Psalms 16: 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
If you have any questions about homeschooling or christian parenting, you can email me, Sue at [email protected]. Or just leave a comment below! :D
If you, as a parent, were a gardener and your children were the saplings, how is your garden growing? I have many thoughts springing from recent happenings and I just thought I need to record it tonight. If this sharing hits too close to home, please understand it is not my intention to kick a fellow soldier when he or she is down. Nor do I intend to raise my family up as some sort of ideal. Our work with our children is far from done and we have to be constantly on our toes, to be sober and vigilant. I am heart broken as much as any other when I hear of Christian parents who are grieved by children who reject the faith. I humbly write to share what I have gleaned, especially to those young families with young children who are just starting this faith journey. I wish they would be careful to avoid pitfalls that have entangled so many others who have suffered before.
Just looking at my two older sons tonight, I commented that they are starting to look like twins. My eldest is now 15 and has grown taller than me. My second son (the third born) is 11 going 12 and going through a growth spurt. He has elongated and quite suddenly looks like he is soon to be as tall as his older brother. Of late, with the three older children all catching up with their papa and me in terms of height and stature, I have been feeling half engulfed by them being so tall. It takes some getting used to. They were once all shorter than me.
the median height of my family has increased! Praise God.
More importantly, as I look as my once saplings now growing into young plants, I reflect on the health of the plants, my crop. How do I know my children are healthy? I want them to be happy in the Lord, glad and thankful to be serving Him. I want them to love the Lord and each other, as well as the church. I want them to possess a spirit of courage, determination, confidence, humility, compassion for the lost. I am so thankful to say, that by the grace of God, these are seen in various amounts in all the children, especially the older children.
I'll share how we have been tending to this garden, growing them for the Lord's use.
1) membership and faithful service at a good bible believing church that preaches the Word of God. I cannot underscore this importance enough. Wrong preaching will result in a wrong way of life and thinking that God never intended for His children to have. He intends for His people to have an abundant life. The Devil is a thief and a counterfeit who robs and shortchanges people, even the very elect, of their joy and a godly testimony. I am so blessed to have reaped good preaching for all these years at Maranatha Baptist Church, and our lives have been blessed for it.
2) In accordance to the correct, biblical view of things, we need to understand that we the gardeners inherited bad seeds. Wicked seeds, evil seeds: seeds that have the potential of growing into an adulterer, a thief, a drunkard, a murderer.....Oh no, you may say, my baby is an angel. Yes, he may throw a fit sometimes, he may not want to obey me sometimes, but he is not evil!
Jeremiah 17: 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I recently had a sobering conversation with my veteran missionary friend who also has six children about this very problem of how children who are raised in a godly home can turn out wayward. I'm sure many of us have pondered that question, after observing how even pastor's kids can grow up rejecting the faith and grow up reprobate.
My friend rightly stated that "all the teaching & training in the world cannot make our children respond to God. It must be their choice. If only they could see."
We need to understand that ALL our children are born sinners and in desperate need of true salvation through repentance and a turning to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
I'm so glad to read my 13 year old girl's sentence construction practice the other day. She was asked to complete the sentence: The principal objective of homeschooling is... and she answered- SALVATION. Do your children understand the true goal of education?
2 Timothy 3: 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
We learn in 2 Tim 1 that Timothy's mother Eunice and grandmother Lois made it a point to impart the Scriptures to Timothy from a young age with the goal of making him wise unto salvation. We cannot save our children by living a godly life although that certainly helps prepare a good "spiritual climate" for the child to be introduced to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, that does not ensure that the child will truly be saved.
True salvation is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, working in tandem with a good biblical understanding of sin and self before a righteous and Holy God. Romans 10 says:
We want our children to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. They will never come to have faith in this God unless their faith is grown through the knowledge of hearing God's word. Check your bible. There is NO OTHER WAY, my friends. What a privilege as a parent to be the first ones to write the Word of God on the slate of our children's hearts. Oh, be sure that the World will fight you tooth and nail to write (or, more accurately, graffiti) on their hearts. Are you a jealous parent? Jealous for the pure, undefiled things of God? Or do are you one who thinks it is ok to flirt around a little here, a little there, a little Harry Potter (even though we have been instructed as Christians to have nothing to do with witchcraft and sorcery), a little Katy Perry (worldly music with all its themes of adultery, sex, and fornication), a little bit of online gaming just to relax and kill time.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
If today's Christians were to use this verse as their guideline for choices of entertainment and activities, (and we should), so much ungodly trash will be out the window. And good riddance.
It is a battle for the souls of our children. All the battle hymns of old (Onward Christian Soldiers, Soldiers of the Cross) have been replaced soft, sappy, lulling love ballads that can easily be interchanged with worldly themes of lust. It is an unbiblical depiction of the true nature of our sin nature and how we need to fight it by the grace of God!
3) by love and joy, draw out your plants. How is your relationship with your children, each child? Do you laugh and play with them? Do they come and talk to you and tell you their heart? Joy is the glue that keeps a child stuck to his or her parent. (Read this article by Michael Pearl about joyful parenting. Read the rest of the website with Godly discernment.)
Who wants a grumpy, snappy mom or dad who says that God is love?
Does our daily countenance befit the gospel (the "good news") we preach to our children?
4) how much time do we spend in the dirt, working on the plants? I am saddened to see that sometimes, father and mother are so busy serving the Lord that their precious children are neglected and bitter. How can this be? The imagination that somehow, a servant of the Lord Jesus can circumvent His plan for the family (Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.) and somehow by some miraculous stroke, this sinful child will also grow to love the Lord? Check the statistics in the Bible for how many men of God whose children also followed after the Lord. It is pretty bleak. If you have a child who would love the Lord as much if not more than you, you are in an amazing minority. I'm sure that most of these parents who have successfully passed on their faith will say, it didn't happen by chance. It took work, effort, dedication and sacrifice to win that child's heart.
Your son needs to SEE you and your ways. Not "hear of you". See you. This means actual proximity. I have heard of pastors, ministry workers who are so busy in the Lord's work, helping and serving others in need, and their children don't see them. And the child's heart gets stolen by friends and other activities. It is really, really a tragedy. The Devil loves it when that happens.
And stay home moms can be as guilty of neglecting their children as out of the home working moms! Highly possible! Just decide to keep the cleaning and tidying of the house as a bigger priority than sitting with the children. Or spending time online. Or whatever. I am often guilty and need reminders! God help me!
We all need reminders, I need these reminders to myself. In our family, we still have tender little ones who need to come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so the work is far from done!
But I do rejoice to see my older children growing in the Lord. For those with younger children, let me encourage you: the fruits of our labour in our garden is very, very sweet!
The eldest loves to share the gospel with strangers he meets on the bus or anywhere. May God bless his efforts! It is wonderful that now my husband and I have multiplied ourselves, we have the older children who love God and His Word and are able to use it and share it with their younger siblings and counsel and encourage friends and whoever God places their way. We can share the burden, labouring together in prayer and deeds. May God see it fit to use each of our six arrows, sharpened for His use. They have joined our ranks and are in the training to be fellow soldiers of Christ! Truly, it is a great joy.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
A couple of days ago, the children and I had a time of assessing how we felt 2014 went, and whether it was well spent. On the outset, we felt it was spent rather haphazardly, with too much time wasted. (Especially when mommy is taking her afternoon nap and all hell breaks loose.)
Then we started counting our blessings and re-counting all the things that each child learned "new" in the year. The list was quite startling and encouraging. And this list is only the highlights! The Lord has blessed the children even more than just these few I mention.
(btw, Dd is dear daughter and Ds is... you guessed, dear son. :) )
Dd6 (2 years and a half): she probably developed the greatest among all the six children. She started talking with a large vocabulary and singing many songs. Hymns even, the ones that she hears us sing, like Sunlight, Sunlight in my Soul Today. :)
She also started scolding people, thinking she has the authority to. (something we correct.) When she is mad at her older brother, she will tell him to go hang the laundry, even when there's no laundry to hang. haha.
She is also pretty good with her balance too! She was recently practicing her skate scooting up and down the living room (thank God we have a long living room) and we were pleasantly surprised that she could actually balance with two feet on the board.
Dd5 (5 and a half years): she started reading in 2014, thanks to the help of big brother Ds1 who taught her how to read in the early part of the year. She is a happy and confident reader now! She also started playing the piano under my instruction. She has been enjoying playing the songs in her piano book even when I am too busy to sit with her.
Here's a comment (my 2 cents) about waiting for the right time to teach a skill: When the child is developmentally ready to learn, the learning is fast and enjoyable. Too many parents are eager to start their children early but the learning is slow and tedious.
And she recently started balancing on a bike after just one lesson with papa! I remember how it was my father who taught me to ride a bike. It is a precious memory I cherish even now. I am glad my children have a dad who spends time with them too!
Ds 4 (just turned 9 years 3 days ago): He has been horse crazy for quite a while now. He loves drawing horses and his ambition is to own a horse one day. (uh huh.)
I gave him the joy of piping his horse picture on the cheesecake (mocha cheesecake that Dd2 made for him from scratch, heavenly...). He did a marvellous job! (The ugly words was me. :p)
2014, he also started cello lessons because for the longest time he wanted to learn but I only managed to get a teacher for him last year. She's a wonderful teacher (from Argentina, wow!) and though he and DS1 have only been learning for around 5 months he has been able to play and, more importantly, enjoy the instrument.
His 1/2 sized cello was special because another homeschooler had outgrown it and had moved on to the next larger size. The dad (also Christian) let us have this cello at a very discounted price because he knew that we have a large family and that we are training our children to love God and serve Him. We have become friends with this family, what a blessing the homeschooling community has been to us.
Another thing that surprised me was the boldness of this son to speak the Word of God! He was so eager to do this presentation that he asked his chapel teacher to please teach them and he encouraged his friends to join in. A lot of hard work but what a blessing it turned out to be!
To plant the Word of God in young hearts... what a blessing! :)
only half way through counting our blessings! See, when we have large families, so the blessings are also many times multiplied! :D Praise God.
Ds3 (11 years): Of course, this guy has been our family clown and has been entertaining us with his antics almost daily, but in 2014, because DS1 learned imovie and videography, we have been able to develop his acting talent that much more. :)
Exciting for me was that Ds3 decided to learn flute and he has shown a talent for the instrument. His instrument is borrowed from a sister in church, he was instructed by another dear sister in church but mostly he has been learning by himself on Youtube and he has been practicing on a book given with love from our Shepherd group, but mostly he has been learning by himself on Youtube. It is humbling to borrow everything but it keeps us extra thankful to God for providing!
It helps when he has friends in church also learning the flute together with him. He enjoys playing together with them.
What a joy to be able to play with him and Dd 2 in our church orchestra!
I would mention this boy loves to sew and knit too. I appreciate these learning journeys that my children take, because they really learn so so much when they take on these tasks. Many times, it is so much more than what academic learning can offer.
Ds 3's hand sewn stuffies, he made for our pastor friend's little boys in the phillipines. :) He also learned to use the sewing machine!
Dd2 (12 years): besides taking a national exam for the first time, our oldest girl shot up (physically) this year. Her feet are bigger than mommy's and catching up with papa's. She has yet to catch up in height, though, but that is just a matter of time. :)
Now that she is taller, she has been able to cook and bake. In 2014, I was pleasantly happy that she could take on my cupcake recipe from scratch all by herself with absolutely no help from me. I am so proud of her! This is 12 years in the training and the fruits are SWEET!
She has been avidly learning hairstyles and braiding on YouTube too.
Ds1 (14 years): He has continued to be a self directed learner. 2014 was the year we got a DSLR camera and he started researching and learning how to use it on manual settings. The high school learner has surpassed his parent teacher in more and more subjects and this is one of our homeschooling goals: to grow a passionate learner.
He has also taken on, besides photography, videography and has learned video editing by himself on Youtube. He has become quite fluent with iMovie and makes the narrative of our silly homeschool videos seemingly flow effortlessly.... but there was quite a lot of editing magic behind it.
I am also really glad that DS1 had the opportunity to pick up cello as well. He expressed the desire to learn and we are glad to be able to help him have lessons too. He has been diligent to practice and glean as much as he can from lessons as he understands that it is a sacrifice on the part of others in order for him to have lessons. I am glad for a good son who's heart is in the right place, aligned with God and our family.
DS1 finds joy in showing God's creation (ants) to his younger siblings. He cares for their spiritual condition too and prays and teaches and encourages them in spiritual (bible) things. He has been faithfully reading his bible daily and is an example for me to follow!
2014, DS1 also got the chance to act in a live production of the biblical book of Esther. He was Mordecai. We are thankful for opportunities like these for our children to try new things!
Another thing to highlight for 2014.....
2014, we had to adjust to travelling by public transport because we decided not to renew the COE of our 10 year old vehicle. It took quite some adjusting to but I think, overall, it has been a good exercise for growing the children's character. They have had to look out for each other more when we are on the bus... we have not lost a single person or thing yet! ;) And even when they are tired, they still have to walk. And sometimes, the older ones will take turns to carry, or piggyback the younger ones all the way home. <3
As I look back on 2014, I am once again encouraged that even though I am weak, lazy and often fail in the flesh, this job of parenting is not mine or my husband's alone. GOD Himself has an active hand in shaping and growing each of our children in ways we cannot. He loves them even more than we do! We are only to be co-operating with Him and nurturing them in His ways, and basically, live out His commands in our lives. He can use our little efforts and multiply them in miraculous ways, beyond what we could ever do with our petty little.
I love this verse and it speaks of God's constant watch care over His children:
Psalms 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Ok, I have been hogging the com for too long. I just want to record some resolutions for 2015 here (for accountablity's sake. :p)
For 2015, the key operative word shall be DISCIPLINE. We are sorely lacking in this and hope to improve in this area. We hope to have a working schedule and STICK TO IT!!!
We in Singapore, we grow up in a highly structured environment. Everything we were taught in school was systematically taught to us from kindergarten up to the point we graduate. That is why, some parents, though they think homeschooling theoretically is a great idea, they feel afraid to take the plunge because they think they may some how be shortchanging their children and ruin their futures.
I'm not here to guarantee that homeschooling will always be a successful path- there are many, many variables to consider. I'll just share here one example of a learning journey we entered into somewhat haphazardly and to just document how our eldest son has been doing. It is a combination of things that happened, opportunities that were available to us, but above it all, I can only claim that it was the invisible hand of God moving in our lives.
It all started one Sunday Jan 2013 when a sister in church, Germaine, cheerfully handed me a bag. She told me that before she went for her company dinner function the previous night, she told God if she won anything during the table draw, she would give it to the Ongs. I am still so grateful for the loving and generous brethren of my church!!!
So, I think God planned this journey for us :) .... In that bag was this brand new Canon IXUS. And I decided to let the kids have it and I tasked DS1 to go and take some nice photos.
Very quickly, the boy learned to use the functions of this little camera and he started to take pretty amazing shots. This was a shot from the first few albums when he took it on his cycling trip to the Sembawang coast.
He learned to play the the special functions on the camera like color emphasis. The one below was from mama's shopping trip to Tekka market in Little India. I dragged all the kids along and he had a chance to play with the camera.
Flowers from the garden...
He got some nice shots when we went to Perth in June 2013. This is my fav shot!
But his favourite muse is of course, his baby sister.
Soon, I began to foist my dreams of doing short video skits on the kids. haha. Foist.
I thought it was a fun and interesting project that could get the whole family involved. Some could come up with the story line, some could act, some could film, some could edit.
But way before we got to that point, there were already several quiet starts to this part of the learning journey. We didn't know during those moments that it would be useful information some day....So, go out and explore broadly.
(On a separate note, I have noticed sometimes, homeschoolers become very cloistered and home bound. Partly the parent's personalities, partly the child's lack of motivation. I personally think homeschooling should be bigger and wider. If we wanted to be stuck in one place, we should have just gone to school. )
One such "quiet start" moment was watching the special, behind the scenes clips at the end of our Pixar DVDs. Those were really an eye opener as to how the creative process is communicated and produced.
Another one we remember was the Pixar exhibition which came to our Science Centre in 2010. We learned a lot from that too. So, field trips are a fantastic way to fire up the interest for learning. And we as homeschoolers, field trip as often as we can! (Budget constraints only. heehee..)
Yet another one was when we met a reader of this blog in Perth. She is an amazing young lady who decided to leave Singapore to study in Perth by herself initially. (Now her family is with her there.) And so wonderfully God planned it such, Michelle is someone who works in the film industry!
She was so kind to invest some time the next she was in Singapore and she did an afternoon course with us and other homeschoolers on how to make a Stop Motion Animation. There we learned how to do up a storyboard before filming. It really saves time! So, PEOPLE who are willing to share their expertise are another invaluable help that God sends on our learning journey.
We produced this based on what we learned from Michelle's session with us.
Oh yes, and another great thing that happened was the good papa invested in an iMac. I had so long been eyeing it for iMovie. Getting the right TOOLS are so important, without which, there can be little progress.
So after enough nagging about getting a video done, DS1 one evening had a sudden thought that he wanted to take very steady shot. And he thought of getting a hammer from the storeroom and attaching it to his camera to stabilize the movements. And it worked! Resourcefulness and Innovation! haha
DS3 had been making a rubber band ball and we were complaining one day how all the rubber bands in the house disappeared overnight. I thought it would make an interesting little storyline. And he also agreed to talk about how he made his rubber band ball in his British accent (gotten from watching TV, cartoons mostly. Like Peppa Pig). I can't wait for his comedy skits to be filmed!!! :)
So this was the first real video that DS1 shot and edited.
After this, he started learning more and more cost efficient (read: cheap) ways to make camera rigs and he found on youtube, that PVC pipes were the way to go. The very next thing, the papa goes to the hardware shop and buys many PVC pipes and lots of joints... and away the boy went, measuring and sawing. He would be muttering the measurements under his breath and it reminded me of me when I am sewing clothes. haha
So, supportive adults who encourage the child's interests and passions. Important! Don't quell their ambitions! (Caveat: as long as the ambitions are good and pleasing in the sight of God, of course.)
But but but.... there is no O level subject that is Videography! Is all this a useless waste of time?
Let's get out of the certification trap (majority of kids in Singapore doing the same things) and go with honing of specialized talents, building a portfolio and then see how it goes.
Note: I have found that this generation of learners are no longer words and print bound. There is a wealth of information in the form of videos out there on the internet.. for FREE. It's a great time to be a homeschooler.
He made a slider, a crane, and he got pretty carried away at some point and made a monster. But that's part of learning.
His interest now piqued, another opportunity presented itself in the form of an upcoming play that our church youth are putting up. DS1 volunteered to make a trailer to tell people about the play (advertise). I don't think the others knew what they were in for! haha.
Now the latest part in this video making puzzle is learning about filming (like the different types of shots and camera angles) and editing. This he also learned from Youtube.
Here is his storyboard (the first he really planned and worked on, colour coded and everything).
So he managed to communicate his ideas with his friends and get them to act for him. :) I am proud to say these two handsome guys are my homeschooled nephews! ;)
And right here, we so happy and excited to be releasing the SECOND trailer that DS1 created for the play.
The literature teacher in me is so happy that he extrapolated from the actual text to imagine Mordecai's reaction when the decree was passed. In school, we had to come up with all these exercises to help the students better understand the text. And here, my homeschooled son shows he understands the text well enough to do the same. :)
In this one project alone, he has pooled so much of what he has learned over the months and years together. Leadership and organising skills, conceptualizing, directing, filming, editing, choosing an appropriate soundtrack. And new talents too... acting! haha I never knew he could emote. LOL
As I said in the previous post, I am glad and proud of how DS1 is growing and developing. Homeschooling in the teen years is very exciting and fun! He is at an age whereby his learning has taken a life of its own and it has grown beyond me and my knowledge and abilities. And that's the way it should be.
For EVERYTHING that has happened on this journey thus far... I attribute it to our loving Heavenly Father who loves us and guides us with His eye. Thank you Jesus. I am so grateful I do not homeschool the children by my strength alone!
And so the journey continues, with the recent (last week!) acquisition of our first DSLR!!!!
The journey continues.... To God be all glory, honour and praise.
Do come for the Esther play! ALL are warmly welcome!
In this post, I want to share with readers our educational philosophy of Passion Driven Learning. I recently had a very friendly poster on the FB page who commented "it's great being a homeschooler, and having the time to do things you love.. I think it's GREAT too to have supportive parents like you guys. This is Blessing!!"
Yes, indeed it is! I feel that we chose to homeschool because we wanted the autonomy to choose the education path of each of our children. Imagine how nice it is to be able to choose which subjects *you* want to offer for O levels and it is not subjected to what subject combination the school is offering and how keen the competition is to get into the class of your preference. How many of us when we were in school ended up doing subjects we hated just because we got placed there by the system. Seriously, all that time I spent on chemistry and physics.... down the toilet.
So, for our son, we have decided on a very focused 5 or 6 O level certificate and only the subjects he is interested in. And we will be doing the O levels over 2 years (when he is age 16 and 17), at a very relaxed pace. This, in turn, frees his time to do other things and we are so glad that he is living a very busy and fulfilling life.
For his "desk bound" work, (besides the O level stuff) he is doing several ACE paces and he recently started on FBI, which is a diploma in Bible Studies. FBI is fantastic, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book walk through the bible in 3 years. And it builds FAITH! I'm really so glad that DS1 has been faithfully reading his bible and doing his personal quiet time with the Lord every morning and night. And now, even more so with FBI homework reading.
The rest of his time, DS 1 is happily kept busy with his many interests and also helping around the house. For the better part of this year, he assisted one of our church brothers in running a Robotics club. He did well enough to be invited to work again next year! :)
Their Robots won First and Second places. :)
DS 1 still is helping to clean bicycles, mop the floor, do part of the laundry duty, cook the occasional meal. And he is still running and swimming almost daily. He and his younger brother have started cello lessons for about 1 month now and is showing promise. He is being taught by an Argentinian cellist! Thankfully at an affordable fee. :p
I hope folks can see that when we free our kids from the shackles of school, and the heavy emphasis on "certification", they can do so much more learning and gain experience.
I must say at this juncture that it may be well and good as parents we desire this education path for our teenagers but there's a big part of it that is dependent on the learner's desire to learn and grow. Indeed, freeing up so much time might actually end up counter productive if the teen is led by fleshly passions. (I can imagine a teen with too much time ending up at the gaming centers and playing WOW till dawn.)
Character training and imbibing the love of God from childhood up is so important. If in the childhood years, they have been trained to have an enquiring mind, love work and love learning,.... their teen years spent homeschooling is really FUN! Why? Because teenagers can work independently, research and develop their ideas, pursue their own projects, feel the rush and pride of a job well done.
So, to parents who are homeschooling their kiddies: keep at it through the teen years...The teen years are when you harvest the fruit!!
Next post, I'll share a bit about how DS1's journey into videography. It has been an amazing 2 year journey, marked by the Lord's mercies and guidance!
Here's his latest and most "professional" project to date. Super low budget but I'm sure one can appreciate the creative energies that went into the making of this short film. It's a trailer for an upcoming play on the book of Esther done by our church youth. The two actors are his homeschooled cousins! lol
Sat 13th Sept 4-6pm and 14th sept 2-4pm. Maranatha Baptist Church. All are warmly welcome! :)
Yes, we are very proud of his work. :) His papa and I were quite tickled watching it because we were so amazed at what he can do. He's a diamond in the rough. The learner in him is just blossoming now, and his education has taken on a life of its own. As for the younger children who are following close behind, they are learning and growing at their pace as well and it is such a joy to also see them develop their talents and interests as well. Enjoying each day the Lord gives us as a family together: growing, laughing, loving.
Many happy, eventful and fully lived-out years have passed in our humble homeschool and all too quickly, we are staring the end of our homeschooling years with our dear firstborn. I am truly blessed and I couldn't think of spending these years of my life in a more meaningful way. God's ways are not always easy to understand but in the doing of it, come the joy and blessings. My precious first baby is a young man now and it has been my privilege to be right there with him every precious passing day.
In Singapore, the year our sons turn 18 yrs of age, they will be enlisted for National Service. Within a couple of months of their birthday, they will be enlisted. Unless they are enrolled in a school, that is. In that event, their enlistment will be deferred till they finish their exams.
Our firstborn son happens to be born in January. And this means that he will loose his entire 18th year to get an academic certificate if we were to keep him from public school. He is 14 now and, quite suddenly out of the blue one day, it dawned on hubby and I that we are quite squeezed for time to help him finish up his homeschool years with a certificate of some sort. In essence, we have from now till the end of 2017.
Three years left!!!
Only Three years left. :(
It has been a wonderful time of praying and planning together with our eldest regarding how he should be spending his remaining 3 years before the NS deadline. I've come to appreciate even more how very important it is that parents build a solid relationship with their children in the childhood years- a relationship of based on love and trust. Our dear son is also looking at the future, not without anxiety, but he is willing to trust us because he loves us and he knows that we love him and take his future very seriously. We have been praying and indeed, God who loves our son and has a plan for his life, has been directing our thoughts and refining the plan.
Homeschooling is a wide open path and there is no set route for any homeschooler- not even those of siblings in the same family! To date, I know of Singaporean homeschoolers who have gone the academic route (even to Stanford University), and some who have gone the vocational route (diploma in piano education, no other certificates and now teaching piano). Often it seems, the parent's inclinations and areas of expertise tend rub off on their children. Like the music teacher mom and her musically accomplished children. Some homeschoolers have gone on to pursue culinary courses, and some, go to the local polys. I guess the common thread here is: go with the God-given strengths of the child, work the system to serve that end.
If you have been following our blog, you will find that we have never placed academics like pursuing good grades for exams as the top priority but rather a well-rounded education. We love for the children to love learning and be passion driven in their learning. In our house, it's rarely maths or something "academic" that they are passionate about. Lately, the middle children have been sewing sock toys, and these few days, no. 3 has begun a knitting adventure. And I am so happy for that. So what if it's not going to contribute to his PSLE grade??? I have a young man who is excited to learn!That (the passion for learning) will take him through life. (But so much of society measures young people by their school grades. Knitting is a complete waste of time.)
The Boys and their own handsewn sock toys!
But I digress.
After going through several scenarios, Hubby and I have come to settle on doing the O levels and spreading it over 2 years (yr 16 and 17), giving our son a more spread-out exam load and hence giving him more time to explore his other passions. This is like what some in the normal academic stream do. Meanwhile, he will be finishing up a few high school level ACE subjects that I have chosen for him (Physical Science, Geography, Old Testment, New Testament, Life of Christ, etc..)
His to-do list runs very long! He wants to build a business, teach Sunday school, complete a triathlon, pick up the cello, just to share a few. On the home front, I need his help to teach the younger siblings, mop the floor, cook some dinners....
Photography and recently, videography, is one of no. 1's interests too.
His father is looking forward to enrolling him in Faith Bible Institute (FBI) which will take him through the bible over 3 years and we look forward to him being grounded in the Word of God even more solidly before he is "released" into the world. He is looking forward to FBI too! How Wonderful that he has a dad who knows what is the most important thing in education: being grounded in the living Word of God. AND he gets to earn a college level diploma in Bible at the end of it. *thumbs up*
He has typed out this to-do list and I told him that everytime he can tick off another item, that is a testament of God's grace to enable him to do that. So, we are happy for him to have broad boased learning (not all academic) in his high school years.
We are grateful to God for these exciting prospects. We have no idea how it will all pan out, how God will re-direct our path..... but we know that with God holding our hands, we are safe.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Our Homeschool lunches are usually hurried affairs. Hurried, but I try to make sure they are nutritious. Usually, I do clear soups with noodles.
Today, I had 1 kg of beef in the freezer so I decided to make hamburgers for a more special lunch.
So, I LOVE to put lots of seasoning and flavours in my food.
In today's beef patty, I mixed: soy sauce, some olive oil, salt and pepper, corriander powder (quite a bit of this), chopped garlic (lots of this too!) and roughly crushed cream crackers (saw dah biah!). 2 beaten eggs to hold it all together. Mix mix mix.
And then, make two flat patties and place some shredded cheese (I used cheddar) in between the patties. Mould the two patties together.
Fry on a medium flame.
The Ooze....
Meanwhile, earlier on, no. 3 (10 yrs) helped me make the bread dough and I had that made into hamburger buns.
The buns turned out ginormous.
Some homeschooling done in the kitchen while burgers are frying
Someone was *not happy*.
Slice up the fresh veges.... tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and onions...
get the kids to make their own hambugers!
Baby had a vegan burger. She loves raw veges more than meat!
The burgers turned out too Man Sized and the kids were struggling to finish their portions. But they didn't want to waste the good food. It was hilarious. The boys psyching themselves with a Warcry to finish their food.
We were in stitches LOL-ing.
We kept away the half eaten burgers to eat later.
Anyway, I'm glad we are homeschooling. Our children get good meals at the correct time. I understand that morning session school kids eat breakfast at 6am, recess snack and lunch on the school bus at 1 plus?
Also our children sleep well. They get in more than 9 hours of sleep and wake at 8 am.
I know, "surviving" doesn't sound much like it was a stroll in the park or like I really enjoyed and thrived in our new homeschool arrangements. But, yeah, I think I'm blessed that due to certain saving graces provided by the Lord, I didn't go berserk from the maddness.
Our homeschool is constantly changing, year by year, even month by month, as the younger ones grow and develop new skills and the older ones explore new boundaries of learning.
In 2014, to date, our homeschool looks like this. We have:
- a highly motivated 14 year old high schooler who is recently freed from his PSLE obligations (end of 2013) and is now embracing his high school years with excitment, grabbing every opportunity to learn with gusto.
- a 12 year old who is preparing for PSLE. She's going slow and steady. She just completed her piano exam last wednesday too!
- a 10 year old (in his P5 year) who is transitioning from ACE to PSLE prep.
- an 8 yr old who is in ACE grade level and also doing SG maths and chinese
- an almost 5 yr old who is doing her reading readiness course with ACE. She can read simple words already!
and.....
- an 18 mth old who is constantly asking to be nursed.
I think I can only describe our school day as Intense. From the time the children wake up till the end of the day, it is a series of seemingly random events one after another and I just have to try to be on top of it all. Multi-tasking all the way. I can't seem to get even 10 minutes helping one child with his fractions without being interrupted three or four times.... the baby wants help in opening a toy, another child is asking where is the stapler, the washing machine is done with one cycle and needs to be reloaded with the next, baby comes again and announces she has a poopy diaper... Yes, it is a very different environment than school, but we have all learned to take it all in. Somehow, the children learn and get their school work done.
Having said that, No. 1 (14 yrs) will guard his school work time and not allow anyone to distract him and no. 3 has been getting up at 7 am before everyone else to get his work done in quietness, so that he can complete his work earlier in the day and play.
How are we going to survive this madness???? ponder ponder ponder
Well, to be brutally honest, I DON'T KNOW how it will all pan out. But I DO know....
GOD's grace will be sufficient for me and my family.
Saving Graces~ Quiet Time in Bible Reading and Prayer
I am sleep deprived. And I am one who doesn't function very well on little sleep. Yet, we have an 18 mth old who still stirs (for no particular reason other than habit) at least 3 times a night and pesters for some milk. As such, I take a mid-day nap while the children are in the thick of their seat work. Whatever questions they have, they can either ask each other or ask mama when she gets up. But meanwhile, if you see mama horizontal... DON'T BUG HER!!!! *grouchy sleep deprived mama bear*
Still, I have been making it a point to wake earlier in the morning, when the children havn't woken up yet, to do my personal Bible Time with the Lord. It has become a precious time of spending time with my Lord Jesus, re-aligning my thoughts, re-focusing my goals, but more importantly, it is knowing what God wants me to be, not in the doing but in the "being" - a living sacrifice for His service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Saving Graces~ Older Children who are Willing to Serve with Love
The number of students and the amount of "school" we have to tackle has increased over the years. Thank God the number of teachers in this homeschool has also increased! Last year, no. 2 was helping to teach no. 5 pre-school, teaching her the alphabet and phonics, with guidance by me on the side. She is a good and patient teacher!
This year, as no. 2 needs to focus on her PSLE prep, some of the teaching load has gone to no. 1. It's so nice to hear him reading the animal stories to his little sister and instructing her how to join the sounds of a small word or how to do her workbook.
I did hear that in some large homeschooling families, this kind of arrangment did work out very well (older ones teaching the younger). Either the older ones were resentful of giving up time for the younger ones, or the younger ones weren't being instructed well. So thankfully, we did talk to our older children and they have the heart to serve and help. And it springs from a love for the family and their younger siblings. I will tell no. 1 what are the lessons learning objectives and he will teach his sister. And I am always near by keeping half an eye on how the lesson is going.
Also, I get quite a bit of help with household chores. Laundry duty is taken by the kids these days but on occassion, I help them. Packing the house, dishes, washing and cleaning, these are all divided up. We believe these are really good opportunities to teach the children good character and even team work.
Saving Graces~ Church Brethren who Help
We are truly truly blessed to be in a good Church (Maranatha Baptist Church, we are Independent, Fundamental Baptist, if anyone out there would like to know. ;) ) Our brethren are truly loving and sacrificial whenever there is a need that arises. With around 5 other homeschool families in our church, we have a wealth of information and helps to tap into. No. 1, particularly, is a direct beneficiary from brethren who would sacrifice time to teach him.
Since losing time having to prepare for the PSLE, no. 1 is now having to double up on his maths learning. I like to tell people in homeschooling, the student-teacher ratio is 2: 1. Two teachers is to one student. heehee
He is having weekly maths lessons with one brother, Uncle Jack. And his papa also takes him for maths on another day. They each cover different topics with him. What a privilege that he can learn from two engineers who love maths!
Another brother, Uncle Conrad, has taken no. 1 under his wing to be his assistant in a robotics club which Uncle Conrad runs. It's like an apprenticeship, giving no. 1 exposure to working life. As a reward, no. 1 even gets an allowance! (For no. 1, working with robots is reward enough!) We are thankful because Conrad is a trusted brother and we know he has our son's interests at heart. We certainly value these learning opportunities but we wouldn't be comfortable if he took a part-time job anywhere else.
I also want to acknowledge family like my sis and my mom who are an invaluable help to us where the children's education are concerned! My mom paid for no. 2's piano lessons for which she sat for her grade 5 exam recently. We are thankful for that opportunity to go for lessons. :)
So in our homeschooling journey, the Lord has provided us with brethren and family who join us and walk together with us, and offer a helping hand. We are so THANKFUL!!!
Saving Graces~ Using A Student Centred Curriculum- Accelerated Christian Education (ACE)
ACE is an instructional workbook, self-paced, student-centered curriculum. This is our core curriculum to which we add SG maths and chinese. ACE has been a real blessing to me, a homeschool mom to 6 kids (5 school aged kids), as each child can get schooled without me having to actually teach them. The workbook teaches them. I am there more as a guide and help. And that frees me up to do other things (like cook lunch) or help them individually with SG maths or Chinese.
ACE has also been instrumental in training our children to be self-directed and goal oriented. As such, I don't have to monitor the older ones too much as they know what they want to achieve every day. The younger ones are still learning but they are very clear what their daily workload looks like. (4 pages a day per subject.)
Saving Graces~ Time for PLAY
We are homeschoolers and we refuse to be tied too long to a desk!!! Being freed from homework (there is no such thing as homework for a homeschooler), our time after school is packed with doing their latest hobbies or going downstairs to rollerblade, bicycle or climb a tree. (no. 3 recently found a good climbing tree and is all excited about that. )
The two little boys' latest hobby... making their own stuffies out of socks!
We recently moved house in December and we are now nearer to a swimming complex and also several lovely parks and playgrounds. (It was a tactical move, by God's grace, He helped us!) It has really been a happy change for us to be so near to so many facilities and recreational spaces.
Our eldest has become quite a sports enthusiast with cycling, jogging, rollerblading, swimming on his ever growing list of sport interests. Seriously, he has been borrowing books on jogging techniques (one called Pose Running) and also he has been researching on Youtube for how to-s. He recently attained the level 1 certificate for Sport Climbing too.
Anyway, time to play is certainly a saving grace as it is a time to relax and un-wind from the stresses and strains of the busy school day.
That's no. 3 (10yrs) with his papa. It was only his second climb! This guy is taking to rock climbing like fish to water.
Saving Graces~ Date Night
To keep our marriage relationship strong, 2 years ago, we instituted a Date Night once a week. It is the children's TV night (they will watch a DVD) and so they are very happy for us to go on our Date Night. haha
My hubby and I look forward to Date Night. We get to have dinner together, find a spot to talk. There are many issues that will crop up over the week and it is always good to hear each other's view on the matter and communicate. I get to unload my day's burdens and hear his direction and guidance. Time spent alone with my husband is really a saving Grace that the Lord has extended to me in order to cope with the demands of the household. Of course, it is a great time for me when I get to shed the "mommy" persona and just be me with my beloved.
Christopher Klicka: Homeschooling: The Right Choice An Academic, Historical, Practical, and Legal Perspective. Written from the American perspective. Klicka builds a solid case for homeschooling. Great for winning over skeptics.
For the Love of the Family Ministries As a pastor for many years I have become greatly concerned and greatly burdened over the number of children who grow up not to serve the Saviour from Christian homes. There seems to be a real lack of practical, spiritual, biblical training going on in this apostate hour. I am also greatly concerned about the number of Christian families that are blowing apart and the tragedy that results from these lives. It is the desire of this ministry to help, encourage, and to provide training and biblical help to families to not lose their children and for parents to know what it means to be godly parents, husbands, and wives. Please feel free to contact us for more information. Contributions and support are appreciated to provide for the work of the ministry.
Dr. Terry Coomer
BABYGEARZ Durable Baby Carriers and Slings with warm climate in mind.
IFBaptist Churches
Maranatha Baptist Church - Baptist
- Fundamental
- Premillennial
- Missionary and
- Independent
my home church! We sing hymns!
Pro-homeschooling Pastor
Macedonia Independent Baptist Church Sound, Bible preaching Independent Fundamental Baptist church, located presently in Choa Chu Kang. Pro-homeschooling pastor
These are beautifully hand-sewn bible covers made by less privileged Christian brethren from a country/ tribe in our region. All proceeds go to them.
Do take a look at their cross stitch work in their beautiful ethnic designs.
The Bible Covers from this album are done by the same brethren as the previous alum. This set of bible covers, more suitable for children, depict scenes from the bible, all beautifully stitched on. Great for gifts as well!
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