long time ago, probably before most of you were born, I had a six year old in public school. It was the same grade school I had attended and seemed adequate educationally. Yet as the year progressed, I was aware of the strong pull of peer pressure, and at the same time was hearing about a new way to educate children. Within a year we prayerfully made the decision to give homeschooling a try.

As many new homeschoolers do, I began teaching with traditional textbooks. I found after a year of textbook teaching I wasn’t excited about the material myself and was having a harder time making it seem exciting to my daughter. So I began to gather materials, including movies and videos, science and art programs from television, library books that were full of great pictures, and other resources. I chose materials that taught the same academic lessons but with what I felt entailed more thought-provoking and exciting presentations. We now had two daughters who were over five years apart and I ended up teaching for about fifteen years, choosing various study books and researching and gathering lessons for each student.

“Mom, how did all of the animals get their names?”

Phew, this is an easy one. You inform your bright-eyed girl that God asked Adam to name all of the animals and Adam did. Without missing a beat there is another question.

Should I say yes, or no? Should I make the kids wake up at the same time every day or let them wake up when they are ready? Should I adjust the schedule or curriculum, or am I being wishy-washy? Should I be strict, or is it okay to go easy on my kids this time?

He created a perfect place, the garden of Eden, in which to place His creatures. The garden satisfied all of the senses. Beauty—accentuated with the chorus of birds, the sweetness of the flowers’ blooms carried on the breeze—surrounded Adam and Eve. But even there, in perfect fellowship with their Creator and His creation, they chose to rebel against Him.

crolling through social media, you stop and read a heated argument playing out right there on your phone. People are saying things they would never say face-to-face with one another.

Watching a news program as the host and guest keep talking over one another, never really listening, you finally turn it off. Is someone right simply because they are the loudest?

ues of orange, red, yellow, and brown fill the landscape as different shapes fall from trees including brown oaks, golden aspens, and red maples. These natural treasures invite children to investigate, discover, and ask questions. Lois Ehlert, author-illustrator of Leaf Man (Harcourt, 2005), understands the interests of young learners and engages their curiosity by providing creative examples of art made with these colorful shapes of autumn.

Readers are invited into Matt’s story of courage and boldness as he is left alone to care for the homestead and secure the log cabin he and his father built. While his father is gone, Matt faces new situations, some dangerous. He stays alone in the cabin, tends the corn, chinks the spaces between the log walls, and keeps track of the passing days by notching sticks and winding the silver watch his father left with him. Matt knows the tasks left in his care will be important for the family’s eventual survival. Matt also makes a friend, Attean, grandson of the Beaver tribe leader. The friendship is gradual, growing as Attean teaches Matt survival skills in exchange for Matt teaching Attean English. This poignant narrative provides readers with opportunities to ponder the value of family and friends, the power of boldness and courage, and the beauty of nature.

The content of The Cost of Discipleship is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on grace and discipleship, including a thorough explanation of “costly grace” as contrasted to the belief of “cheap grace.” The last three portions of the text are an exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, evangelism, and ecclesiology. The content is rich and makes for meaningful and impactful discussions with family and friends. This work is readily available in alternate formats, giving high schoolers the option to use an audio version, which for some learners is a means of greater comprehension. In addition to The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote Life Together: Ethics. His Letters and Papers from Prison were published posthumously.

here are only so many hours in a day, and often it can feel like we are racing to make the most of them. One might argue that we are simply being diligent, and God does call us to be diligent and productive (Proverbs 12:14). However, being busy isn’t always the same as being productive, and more isn’t always better… it’s just more.

My husband and I had always planned to homeschool, but we didn’t necessarily plan to have eight children in less than thirteen years. As we added more children to the mix, I found myself having to simplify over and over again. At certain points, I grappled with that very common question that every homeschool mom asks: “Are we doing enough?”

Deanne Crawford & Gina Burmeier

ears flowed once again as my daughter and I struggled through her latest math lesson. Hanging my head in frustration, I silently cried out to the Lord, “HELP!” While I did not audibly hear Him, I felt a sense of calmness flow through me and His words flowed over me, “I have called you to this. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I am with you,” (Joshua 1:9). He then reminded me of all the difficulties we have faced together: in marriage, parenting, and homeschooling. As I reflected on what He brought to mind, I looked at my daughter and smiled. “Honey,” I said, “Let’s take a deep breath and refocus.” I shared what the Lord was showing me. We then spent a few minutes talking about the times God had shown up in the past and how thankful we were that God was with us in this journey.

iving outside the box is scary, especially when the world likes things “inside the box.” This past year has shown us that it’s often a struggle to think and act differently than those around us.

That’s what homeschooling does. It is an outside-the-box training facility. From the moment your children wake up, they are outside-the-box thinkers. The Inside-the-Boxers (ITBs) get on the bus, start at precisely 7:55 a.m., sit in neat rows of chairs, spend 43 minutes per subject, take a 35-minute lunch break, have planned exercise in matching clothes, learn what the experts have decided is best for them to know, close the books at 3 p.m., and take the return trip home by bus.

The Outside-the-Boxers’ (OTBs) education ebbs and flows with LIFE. They start when Mom is ready to start. If there is a doctor’s appointment, they start earlier or later, or not at all. They don’t need gym time because they have plenty of play. They don’t have to take philosophy because they’re watching you model yours 24/7. The books may close at noon, but they never stop learning because all of life is learning.