Thursday, June 16, 2005

Why our kids are public schooled

We live in a very good public school district that is in a very rural area. The majority of the teachers attend the very large church that we attend. Several of the teachers that my children have had in grammar school prayed for God to bless the food before going to lunch. (I hope the ACLU never finds out!!!) I do not have a desire, the focus (time management skills for all the different ages to be taught), the patience, nor have I been convicted by God to homeschool my children. I do have a desire to teach Bible verses, read Biblical stories, sing sacred music, pray with and attend church when the doors are open with my children. I do wish that school did not last 8 1/2 hours a day (including the bus ride). I think that school could be condensed into just 4 hours a day.

I do want my children to be set apart from the world, but I do not want to isolate them so that they do not know how to reach their peers. I believe we are made to be lights of the world and how can my children be productive lights if I do not let them go to where the darkness is. My oldest DD has a friend that she invited almost 2 years ago to go to AWANAs (approved workmen are not ashamed). My DS has a friend that he has invited as well and hopefully we will be able to bring him to church, too. These families do not go to church. The girl's grandparents go to our church, but the lines of communication were not opened to the point where their son would send Taylor to church with them. Nor was Taylor motivated to get up to go with her grandparents. But she IS motivated to go with my daughter because they are great friends. I just know that if I had decided to homeschool, this opportunity for my daughter to witness to her friend on a daily basis would not have come about.

I do not doubt that families who choose to homeschool have opportunites to witness. I just know that the decision to public school our children is the right choice for my family.

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