Relationships in the Homeschool

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="5962f323.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Crooked Pines Ministries"><U><IMG SRC="040bf930.gif" border=0 width="191" height="147" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Glance at Reading Readiness"><U>A Glance at Reading Readiness</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Ba"><U>A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Bark</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Pleasing Palette"><U>A Pleasing Palette</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Treasure So Fine!"><U>A Treasure So Fine!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion"><U>Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aunt Bettys BBQ Sauce"><U>Aunt Betty's BBQ Sauce</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back to School"><U>Back to School</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Beginnings of Habit"><U>The Beginnings of Habit</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Being Poured Out"><U>Being Poured Out</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broccoli Chicken Casserole"><U>Broccoli - Chicken Casserole</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Educ"><U>Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Education</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Choosing Curriculum for the new year"><U>Choosing Curriculum for the new year</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives"><U>The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dwelling in Safety"><U>Dwelling in Safety</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fall: The Season of Change"><U>Fall: The Season of Change</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promise"><U>Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promises</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For the Love of Ginger"><U>For the Love of Ginger</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Covenant Journey Part 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Pure Vessel Part 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!"><U>Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure"><U>The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in t"><U>Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in the Lord</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have You Been Working Out?"><U>Have You Been Working Out?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="His Love"><U>His Love</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Educators and their Books"><U>Home Educators and their Books</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homeschooling... 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Dormant? Not Hardly!"><U>Winter... Dormant? Not Hardly!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Your Liver loves Burdock!"><U>Your Liver loves Burdock!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="5952f3c3.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> <A NAME="_crooked_pines_publishing___________home"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  Crooked Pines Ministries</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Crooked Pines Ministries"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles by Mary E. Woodis"><U><B>Articles by Mary E. Woodis</B></U></A></div> <div> Relationships in the Homeschool</div> <div> <IMG SRC="59a6d530.gif" border=0 width="365" height="83" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.hisimage.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hisimage.org"><U><IMG SRC="05193950.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="149" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Relationships in the Homeschool</div> <div> By: Mary E. Woodis</div> <div> Background Passage: John 17 Key vs. 21</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="598db460.gif" border=0 width="475" height="70" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div>      Spring is in the air, Dear Ones, I can just feel it! The buttercups have already broken the surface and their green shoots are reaching higher every day. The buds on the maple trees are swelling and brightening. My yard has been consistently covered with the harbingers of spring, American Robins. </div> <bR> <div>      As Emily and I were hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness Area on a warm day in mid-February, I noticed that the early wild flowers were already greening up. Soon they will have gathered enough strength from the sun to send forth their blossoms and bear fruit. It never ceases to amaze me how these fragile plants can bear the stress of winter and return in the spring in all their beauty and glory.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Nourishment of the Son</B></div> <bR> <div>      The relationship of the sun to the plants, and the seasons that direct their growth all puts me in mind of the ultimate relationship that we have with our Father God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Without the nourishment and provision of the Father through His Son, we would eventually annihilate our own species through the violence of the sin nature that lives within us all. Relationships in the homeschool are much the same. They must be nourished and cared for through every season of our lives or they will fall into disrepair and die. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Dark side of Winter</B></div> <bR> <div>      Although every season has its own challenges, those presented during winter seem harder to endure. The long, dark days seem to bring out the sin nature that lies within us all and relationships become damaged or, at the very least, strained. Just as I said in my last message to you, this season does not last forever.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Awakening</B></div> <bR> <div>      But then comes spring…</div> <div> The sun shines warmer and longer. It seems as though the entire area is yawning and stretching. You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief. It is like a deep breath to prepare for action. You can see it in the plants as the new green shoots stretch forth toward the sun. You can see it in the trees as the branches grow green on the ends and lengthen. You can see it in the children as they grow restless inside and long to be outside in the sunshine running and playing. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Mommy-time</B></div> <bR> <div>      Emily and I hiked alone that day in mid-February for the simple reason that she needed mommy-time. I had previously taken a day shopping with Jessica. Parker-Daniil and I had a lunch date. But it is in the wilderness that my Emily feels secure enough to share her heart and dreams. She loves the outdoors as much as I do. So when our relationship needs extra care, we are off to the woods.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Heart-to-Heart Contact</B></div> <bR> <div>      This is one way that we repair and maintain our relationship. We need the heart-to-heart contact that comes from our time alone with one another. This gives me the opportunity to make each one feel special. I spend time loving, enjoying and counseling. This is my greatest opportunity to bless them and pour from my heart into their lives. This is so essential to the proper growth and development of their person. It is through a child's relationship with the parent that he learns to relate to his God. By gently loving, nurturing and rebuking them you are showing attributes of God to your children in a very real way. These are attributes that you share with God, they are communicable attributes.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Time Alone</B></div> <bR> <div>      The very act of slipping away into the wilderness I learned from my Lord through Scripture. The book of Luke tells us again and again of Jesus withdrawing to an isolated or wilderness place to pray. I find it especially significant that the one writer of Scripture that shares the most about the woman around our Christ would also share this detail. The Holy Spirit knew that we would need this time. There is no substitute for this time alone. Parents have nothing to pour into other relationships if this vital link to God is broken or unused. Neglecting your prayer life will make you inadequately equipped to handle the problems that arise with your children.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Learning the Love of our Father God</B></div> <bR> <div>      Often we are told of Jesus taking His disciples into the wilderness so He could teach them one on one without the hindrance of the crowds. There is a great lesson to be learned here that we can apply to all of our relationships and teaching experiences. The disciples learned so much by watching Jesus interact with the crowds, but they learned His heart when there were alone with Him. So our children learn the same. It is through our examples that they learn parenting and interaction with others. It is through our times alone together that they learn the love of our Father God.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Signs of Neglect</B></div> <bR> <div>      A great illustration for relationships is that of a house. Houses require constant attention. If the maintenance is ignored, the house starts to show signs of wear and may even spring a leak. The water dripping from the ceiling can easily be seen as tears. Both are the sign of a problem. An abandoned house quickly falls into decay and an abandoned relationship will do the same.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Repair Work</B></div> <bR> <div>      Once the problem has reached this point it takes intensive work and expense to repair. With a relationship, this means open discussion, listening hearts, no condemnation, (Romans 8:1) loving one another and forgiving one another. (Ephesians 4:32) This will take a lot of hugs and time. This is time spent knitting hearts back together. Please don't mistake my intent. I am not speaking of the tears that come from discipline for disobedience. The tears that spring from a broken and contrite heart bring cleansing to the soul and restore a right relationship with God.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Listening with Your Heart</B></div> <bR> <div>      There is no way your child can successfully and in a Godly way, negotiate their teenage years if you do not take the time to really listen to their heart. This means listening not only to their words but deciphering their body language as well. You must listen just as closely to what is not being said as you do to what is being said. Perhaps at no other time will your loving counsel be more important.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Remember to Have Fun!</B></div> <bR> <div>      While we are speaking of relationships we must not leave out the fun. In order to knit your hearts together you must learn to enjoy one another. Parents please take time to enjoy your treasures! I think this is one of the greatest deficits in American family life today. Our lives become so busy that we forget how to enjoy being together. It is much easier to get them involved in so many extra-curricular activities that we loose sight of our family identity. Our hearts no longer enjoy our alone time because they are too used to being entertained. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Busyness... A Great Killer</B></div> <bR> <div>      Busyness is the greatest killer of family relationships. If you have been so busy that an open block of time leaves you sitting and staring at each other with no words to say, then it is time to prune some of that busyness and work on those relationships. Will your children resent this? You bet! Children are creatures of habit and any change in their schedule will result in busyness. Will your children benefit? You bet! </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Times of Your Life</B></div> <bR> <div>      So take time to have fun with your children. All of those activities I mentioned earlier with my children are things that they enjoy doing. I tell my son when our relationship gets strained that I think it is time we have a date. This makes him feel so special! Our lunch dates at Ruby Tuesday are times that he eagerly anticipates. Other times we just go out in the yard and play, this can be shooting some hoops or grabbing the binoculars and watching the birds and squirrels. Your times may look different. Put on a pair of skates, ride your bicycles or wonder around the mall eating pretzels and just shopping. Times as simply spent as cooking and creating in the kitchen can be treasured moments that become memories for a lifetime.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Will You Take the Time?</B></div> <bR> <div>      It's all a matter of time, really. How much of your valuable time are you willing to invest in your children? This is one treasure you will have for eternity. Will it be an enjoyable investment? God linked your lives for all eternity and He did it for a purpose. So have fun with your child as he grows and changes. If you maintain your relationship regularly you will always be there when they face new challenges in their growth and maturity. In this way you become an effective guide. They are no longer floundering about wondering which path they should take. God left us an instruction book and we need to teach our children how to use it for all of life's challenges. All of the answers have already been given. It is the pursuit of those answers that makes life so interesting!</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>New Life</B></div> <bR> <div>      God is breathing new life into the landscape as the northern hemisphere turns to spring. Will you allow Him to breathe new life into your relationships as well? Let the light of our Father's love be reflected so brilliantly in you that it spills over to your family. You will be so very glad that you did!</div> <bR> <bR> <div>      Jessie and Mary Woodis have been entrusted with three treasures: Jessica - 16, Emily - 13, and Parker-Daniil - 8. We are raising these treasures in the love and admonition of our Dear Lord on Crooked Pines Farm. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="599a3910.gif" border=0 width="163" height="145" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#_crooked_pines_publishing___________home" TITLE="Relationships in the Homeschool"><U><B>Back to the top</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.graphicgarden.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.graphicgarden.com"><U><IMG SRC="5977d350.gif" border=0 width="125" height="53" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Page last updated April 2004</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>