Greetings from a newbie homeschooler!

If you had told me 10 years ago that today we would have 4 children and be homeschooling, I would have had a good laugh thinking you were telling me a joke.  But, here I am, and my life is quite different from how I’d pictured it would be at this point.  We are now into our 7th month of homeschooling.  I wish I could tell you that I have had so much fun, but that would not be completely truthful.  In fact, the first several weeks of start-up were very stressful for me and to a lesser degree, for my husband.  I have thought about homeschooling for several years and felt God putting it back onto my plate one year ago.  I remember calling Robin Young about something unrelated to homeschooling, and then the conversation turned to just that.  And well, let us just say, the rest is history.

I read everything I could about homeschooling including those articles that talk about all of the fun things you can do like field trips, spending time together as a family, staying in your pajamas, etc.  It all sounded so great.  So, we started up in July of last year, and my experience has been very different from how some of those articles read.  It has been very challenging, but more exactly put, it has been very HUMBLING.  Do you know what I am talking about?  My make-up is such that I am not prone to ask for help.  I like to do most things myself, mainly because I like them done my specific way.  And a lot of times, it works out in my favor.  But, I have met my match with this homeschooling business.  I have learned very quickly that I cannot do this by myself.  I need other people to help me and to offer guidance and encouragement.  But most importantly, I have learned that the Lord needs to be in control of this adventure, not me.  This is not about my agenda, what kind of education I want for our kids, what experiences I want them to have.  It is about God’s plan for my life, my husband’s life, and for my children’s lives. 

Being humbled has drawn me closer to God.  It has caused me to rely more on him and less on myself.  And that is what he really wants me to do, and he will meet me there if I just take my hands off the wheel and let him drive the school bus, so to speak.  So, now back to the beginning where I said I haven’t had a lot of fun.  Sometimes, I greatly enjoy teaching my children, and all goes smoothly.  Other days, I am so stressed out that things aren’t going according to the plan.  Well now, I’m trying to practice the “Re-s”.  I’ll give you some examples..

Re-charge, Re-focus, Re-direct, Re-group, Re-establish, Re-connect, Re-evaluate, and my favorite, Re-lax..

So, I encourage you whether you are a newbie or a veteran homeschooling parent, try practicing the “Re-s” in your life with God, yourself, your spouse, and your children.  Take a deep breath and start over with the Lord in control. 

Love in Him,
Joy Dozier