Homeschooling in the Springtime

<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="#009933" TEXT="#080000"> <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> <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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Woodis</B></U></A></div> <div> Homeschooling in the Springtime</div> <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> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3a287a20.jpg" border=0 width="391" height="162" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Homeschooling in Springtime </div> <div> Written by: Mary E. Woodis </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3ab4b4b0.gif" border=0 width="75" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  </div> <div>      With the spring of the year and the warming of temperatures my heart seems to leap to life within me. Oh how I love to see new life being created around me. Spring affects children in much the same way and the just like them, the child within all of us longs to be up and outside. The warming temperatures, twittering birds and fluttering butterflies invite us to come out and see what God has done. There is that adventuresome spirit that lies within us that makes us want to look into these new things and discover the newly uncovered.</div> <div>   </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Springtime is a great time to begin homeschooling! Whether your children are 7 or 17 you can take advantage of this awakened spirit and bring new life into their academic endeavors. Homeschooling is a tutorial system of education and the very heart of it, as explained by Inge Cannon, is that “…we can do what we do when we are ready to do it.” Adrian Rogers stated the same principle like this, “…timing is more important than time.” So make the time to introduce your children to this freshly renewed wonderland that God is creating just outside your front door.  </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      Do you see the beauty of these statements by Mrs. Cannon and Dr. Rogers? Do you see the license that they give us to bring to life the doldrums of academia and see the light of discovery in our children’s eyes once again? As I was sitting in Inge Cannon’s Transcript Boot Camp this past weekend she reminded us: “Don’t be so transcript minded that you are no discipleship good.” This comes as a timely reminder lest we forget the heart of the </div> <div> matter, our very children’s eternal future. God can refresh and renew the spirit within them just as we are longing for Him to do for us. They need to be renewed and filled, too! Ministering to their hearts and refreshing their spirits can be as simple as taking a walk </div> <div> with them, going outside with them to see what brings that light back into their eyes. Go out and find what they think is interesting. Do you know what sparks their interest? When was the last time you asked? </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      This is the one thing that I would like to encourage all of you to do this spring, step out of the door with your children. Go to the yard, the park or to the wilderness with them and discover again the wonder of God’s creation. It doesn’t matter if you have a child that is a slave to computer games or a seasoned Boy Scout, each one of these children will find refreshment and renewal by being out-of-doors and so will you.  </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      When you venture out with your children don't feel as if you must breathe down their necks continually. Give them time to explore and draw conclusions of their own. There will come plenty of time for instruction when they begin to ask questions. But each discovery doesn’t need to become a new study. They will learn much more if you will casually share the names of things with them and let them light upon their own delights. Once this happens, you can lead them into a whole new study on that one delight and build </div> <div> a notebook that will bring back pleasant memories for the rest of their life. </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      I think that needs to be one of the most important aspects of our homeschooling years, that of building memories and building character. How you choose to accomplish these goals is very personal. We happen to spend a lot of time reading good books together when we are indoors and hiking, camping and horseback riding when we are out-of-doors. Just last week we took advantage of a particularly warm day and went down in our woods to cook hotdogs over a campfire. I guarantee you our children will not forget that day for a very long time. </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      Days such as these are the types of holy moments when you can easily pass along your beliefs and build character into your children. The quiet moments of peaceful introspection or joyous laughter over charred hotdogs and smoldering coals are great times to share a piece of yourself with your children. That what all children need in great quantities and what makes homeschool such a treasure, time; time with our children to teach them what makes us different than any other family that God has created.  </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      Another way to build their character is to give them quality biographies of great men and women and Biblical heroes. Children search for a hero and if you don’t supply them with one, they may choose one that will damage their character. You should choose a </div> <div> person that spent his/her life pursuing Godly goals and serving Him. This should be someone that persevered when times where tough and pulled his own self up by the bootstraps when life got him down. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>      Children need role models that loved and respected their parents and obeyed even when their peer group thought it was senseless. They need role models to show them that with God there is no gray area, it is either black or white, no matter what society might think. They need someone to show them that “whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…” are things that do exist in real life and are worthwhile to strive for. Children need a model, they need a goal and they need a vision; that is what God created parents for, to give them these things.  </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div>      If this is an area you have been struggling with, this spring is your chance to make a new start. If you don’t know where to look for great books check the titles available from:</div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rushton Family Ministries at <A HREF="http://www.cindyrushton.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cindyrushton.com"><U>www.cindyrushton.com</U></A> or call (256) 381-2529 for a catalog. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">You might also try the “Christian Heroes: Then & Now” series published by Youth With A Mission at <A HREF="http://www.ywam.org/books/default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ywam.org/books/default.htm"><U>www.ywam.org/books/default.htm</U></A> or call them at 1 (888) WCN-NEWS. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>       When choosing heroes to present to your children check your Bible? When was the last time you regaled your boys with a rousing battle from the Old Testament or thrilled your young ladies with the stories of Esther or Ruth? You can also read from the book of Judges, there are heroes aplenty for boys or girls to be found there. </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      Spring is a time of new beginnings and time for renewing those things that have long been dormant. By dormant I mean the spark of imagination and wonder that time and book learning have squelched in our children. Let’s put the wonder back in our children this year by bringing to their notice things of wonder and things of pure delight. Homeschooling in Springtime is a wonderful thing! I pray the Father that your spring will be full of pure joy and the building of many treasured memories. May God richly bless </div> <div> each of your homes. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="4ad7c560.png" border=0 width="124" height="86" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#_crooked_pines_publishing___________home" TITLE="Homeschooling in the Springtime"><U><B>Back to the top</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication please contact Jessie and Mary Woodis at </B><A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U><B>jessiew@hiwaay.net</B></U></A><B> for permission and more details.</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>