Not a teacher

Monday through Friday from August until May we get up and do school at our kitchen table.

I never thought this would be something I would choose. I am famous for verbalizing the things I will "never" do. For instance I was never going to send my kids to public school, and I was never going to homeschool. They started in private school but once we truly realized we had bitten off more than we could chew I started home schooling Jared in first grade. Then my mom became sick with cancer and I felt she needed me so we enrolled Jared in public school. It became very apparent to me then and more so now that we needed to include God in every single decision we will ever make because He does care and His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher! Isn't that awesome? That gives me so much peace.

I learned that but I think it took Brian a little longer. Even when the kids seemed to struggle and I would suggest home schooling them he wouldn't even want to discuss it.

But then we moved to North Carolina.

Suddenly, he felt as if God was telling us to home school the boys and I was terrified. You see, I'm not a teacher. I don't even have a four year degree. I don't think very much of myself when it comes to leading others. I'm pretty insecure.

His ways are higher.

Once we made the decision and started researching curriculums and talking to as many people as we could who have done this before, we made our choices and placed our order. I got a table for school, registered with the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education , had my attendance sheet ready, a school schedule and we were off. And we did great! We had our ups and downs and we weren't always friends that first year but we made it through and my kids have never done so well on an end of year test. Now, people can say what they will about tests being dumbed down etc etc but I'm not interested in all of that. What I know is that my kids learned a lot and they excelled. And most of all, I am a teacher!!!

Here we are about to end year three and yes we have had plenty of bumps in the road but remember the whole His ways are higher part? Our second school year we were blessed to be part of an amazing co-op led by my good friend Laura which lightened my teaching load (since Laura is an actual teacher) and put the kids with their friends 2 days a week. We have done it 2 years now and I have loved (maybe not all the time) sharing the teaching responsibilities with other moms who's passion for home school is as fierce as mine. I have been so blessed to learn from these other moms and even from the kids. I have been more encouraged than I can even begin to express. I feel so much more adequate and much more equipped to handle the high school years thanks to this group of women who have poured so much into me these past 2 years.

So, all I'm really saying is this: seek God in ALL your decisions for yourself and your kids and don't sell yourself short because you feel insecure. I've seen this said on more church signs then I can count and its so amazingly true.

GOD DOESN'T CALL THE EQUIPPED, HE EQUIPS THE CALLED.

And we are ALL called.