33 comments

Kimberly Wagner

Raising Children of Radical Faith

Posted on 07.14.10 by Kimberly Wagner
Topics: With Your Kids

I’m a child of the sixties, was a teen in the seventies, which means I grew up in a pretty radical, revolutionary era. Although much of the ideology was born of rebellion, the belief that our generation could “make a difference” motivated some positive social and cultural changes.

For those of us on the fringes of the “Jesus Movement” we knew lasting change could only come through Christ, and we were ready to totally sell out to seeing our generation impacted by Him. We were radicals for Jesus.

As a teen determined to make a difference, I wanted to live all out for Christ, whether that meant heading to a third world country to spread the gospel or immersing myself in academic theological training. One aspect of “making a difference” really didn’t hit my radar screen, though–motherhood. Just the word itself sounded boring and frankly kind of “beneath” the lofty goal of winning the world to Christ.

I didn’t realize it then, but perhaps the greatest opportunity for impacting the next generation, or making a lasting difference, is hidden in that mild term: motherhood. Perhaps you  have a similar struggle when you hear the term. When you read the word “motherhood” do sleepless nights and mountains of dirty laundry come to mind? You may see “motherhood” as something to grit your teeth through. If so, I hope this post will challenge you to view motherhood from a grander perspective.

Have you ever heard of Augustine? In his early adulthood, he was a partying, immoral pagan, breaking his mom’s heart. His conversion brought dramatic change. Today, theologians claim Augustine’s impact on Christian thinking was greater than anyone other than the Apostle Paul.

Guess who Augustine credited for his conversion . . .

Yep, his mother! 

Mothers have the opportunity to influence by spending hours a day, for multiple years: pouring in truth, inspiring hearts and minds to live for God’s glory, and training change-agents for the next generation–kind of like raising little “radicals for Jesus!”

I’m not saying motherhood doesn’t include plenty of drool and dirty diapers, but that picture is a far cry from what it’s all about. Imagine having the opportunity to impact not just the next generation for Christ, but several generations beyond your own! As you raise radicals for Jesus as a mom, then as a grandmother, and then those children raise future generations to live with a passion for Christ because of your influence, think of the number of lives and generations you’ve impacted through “motherhood!”

“We will not hide them from their children but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.” Psalm 78:4

Moms, how will you use your power of influence?

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Comments

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  1. One of my favorite quote's is "A Mother's heart is a childs schoolroom." We do teach our children in more ways than we think. Just look how your children talk, their attitudes etc.... They are like us.
    Do children enjoy going to church? Are they critical of church and leadership? Maybe we need to watch what we say in the car after the morning service.
    As a pastor's wife I do see many church children who are products of half-hearted believers. Parents need to be that example and teach their children in the home and not save it for the youth pastor to do. We all need God's help, that's for sure.
    posted by judy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 9:48 am
  2. For most of us the way to win the "world for Christ" is reaching out to one little soul at a time in the smallness of our own homes.

    May God fill christian mothers and grandmothers around the world with a passion to leave a legacy of truth to the next generation. May we find it a JOY to invest our lives in training and modeling Christ to them.

    By God's grace the hand that rocks the cradle CAN change the world one child at a time!

    God help us live out this calling!
    posted by Laura
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 10:43 am
  3. Children pattern their lives after the examples their parents set. If we want to have Godly children, we must first be Godly parents. Our actions speak much louder than our words! Children learn by watching us live out our lives. With God's grace, we can raise these children to become Godly children, teenagers and then adults, to carry on to future generations.

    As a mother, I try so very hard to be the best role model for my children that I can possibly be. I guess that's why I dont quite understand the comments made in earlier posts about woman not caring how the public views them. I CARE because it's what my children see and I want to be as perfect of a role model for them as I can be. Maybe the previous posts were by women that were not mothers. ???

    God bless each of you. Nothing or no-one in our earthly lives should be more important to us than our children that God has blessed us with.
    posted by paige
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:10 am
  4. Our pastor just preached from 2Corn. 4:3--if the gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost. He spoke of how sad it would be to say we are a christian and our own children or family members not know that about us.

    we have something to offer this world and our children, we want so much for them materially, but what about he eternal.

    When it is all said and done, the eternal is what is going to matter. My mother instealed in me a desire to learn about and from GOD. I can only hope that even tho my daughter is grown and now has children of her own, that I have shown her the eternal more than things of this earth.

    At the same time, mother's who's children have turned way from GOD, don't beat yourselves up, if you did all you could do, or have just started living for GOD. Your children will remember and see the truth in your lives. GOD bless the women who were examples for me.
    revive our hearts
    posted by Tina S
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:13 am
  5. As a mom of a rebellious teen, the comment on Augustine was encouraging. It's so easy to not see beyond today and be overwhelmed by the heartache. I believe God will ultimately be victorious in my son's life, I just wish he could see that his actions are robbing him of a precious time in his life and that of our family that could be so different. Despite the fact that I see no fruit now and that 1+1 is not equaling 2 in our family, I still am in total agreement with the original thought posted in this article. As moms we need to be faithful to God in bringing our children up in the ways of the Lord. Sounds so simple but oh my!
    posted by Terri
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:31 am
  6. God bless the women who were in my life that made a difference. I was not raised in a christian home. My parents were very good examples when it came to everything except religion. We helped others, we did good deeds, we didnt drink, smoke, curse, etc. We lived a good, clean life, but my parents were not born again Christians, so I missed a childhood of growing up with the Lord in my life. Oh, He was there guiding me every day, I was just not taught that until much later in life. As an adult, I feel like I was "robbed" by not having God in my life as a child.

    I want to make a difference in my children's life. I want them to have God in their life from a very early age. I want to set an example for them. I dont want to cross any boundary that could possible make my children question or doubt my decisions. Children model their lives after their parents; so it's plain to say they will do what they see us doing. We must be pure in what we say and do or we are setting bad examples for them to follow.

    If we think its important to have all the material things in life....a big home, nice cars, boats, campers, expensive sports, etc. then that is what we are instilling in them as children, and that is what they will become as adults.

    If we dont set proper boundaries for dealing with situations such as opposite sex relationships, then we are not teaching or practicing what God teaches in His Word.

    I want my relationship with my husband to be a model of what a marriage should be. I want my church attendance to reflect the importance of Christian fellowship and worship. I want to read with my children daily from His Word and impress upon them how important they are to God.

    I encourage all mothers to put their children first in everything they do! Its a life investment and their eternity depends on it.
    posted by diane
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:42 am
  7. If we are not sowing seeds of truth into these young precious hearts and builidng God's kingdom; we are by default building Satan's and agreeing with for the destruction of our homes/lives. May we WAKE UP to our calling as women and see our true purpose first in foremost is to live out the gospel in our homes; love our husband and dsiciple our children because if we fail in this area; then do we even have the blessing of the Spirit to minister anywhere? Beginning with my own heart; I (we) must repent and return to our original calling; at home! Lord; have mercy on us; sinners.
    www.nancylincoln.net
    posted by Nancy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:42 am
  8. I have been praying and researching homeschooling my boys this fall (6th grade and 1st grade). It seems like everyday God is putting something in front of me to push me towards it. Today it was this article. Please pray for me to be submissive to the Lord's plan for our family and to obey in grace and humility. The time we have for training and preparing our children for adulthood is so short, yet the impact is so great!
    posted by Tracy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 12:00 pm
  9. Thank-you Kimberly for your wise words on mothering.
    My years as a mother have been a refining fire and a great blessing!
    www.carolvanderwoude.com
    posted by Carol
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 12:26 pm
  10. Tracy, I have seen homeschooling be a huge success and I've seen homeschooling be a big mistake. There are very many pros and cons in homeschooling. I advise you to read as much as you can on the pros and cons BEFORE you make the decision and then decide what would be best for YOUR children. Just remember that homeschooling your children does not mean they are going to turn into little angels!!!! Its a lot of hard work but very rewarding, IF God has called you to homeschool.
    posted by april
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 12:59 pm
  11. I dont want to turn this blog into a debate over whether homeshooling your child is biblical or not, but I personally think we do our children a huge disservice by taking them out of public schools which is the "real world." If I place my children their home environment 24/7, then they are going to have a rough time dealing with the real world as they get older. Homeschooled children are shunned from the real world until they are placed out in it. Yes, they may be exposed to "bad" things in the public school system, but that is preparing them for the real world. We can teach them at home, take them to church, live the Christian life AND allow them to grow up normal in a public school. It prepares them for a successful life.

    God did not mean for us to shield our children and place them in a bubble. He meant for his children to GO and SPREAD THE WORD. Teach them in their homes and then allow them to GO. For example: You can teach bullying from a text book all day long and explain how bullying makes one feel, but until they experience it or see it first hand, they will not understand it. Text book teaching and real life lessons are NOT the same thing.

    Drugs, alcohol, sex, bad language, homosexuality, etc. are all part of the public school system.....but so is the real world. I will teach my children right from wrong so when they see it or experience it they will know the difference. Shielding our children is not the way to raise them. All we are doing by homeschooling our children is setting them up for some tough days ahead. They learn to deal with the negatives in the public only if they are part of the public.

    This post was not intended to upset anyone that is homeschooling or plans to homeschool but I think God's purpose for our children is much more than keeping them home 24/7.......even with the field trips they take with their "limited" group of friends.

    God bless!
    posted by Rachel
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:10 pm
  12. If we are not sowing seeds of truth into these young precious hearts and builidng God's kingdom; we are by default building Satan's and agreeing with for the destruction of our homes/lives. May we WAKE UP to our calling as women and see our true purpose first in foremost is to live out the gospel in our homes; love our husband and dsiciple our children because if we fail in this area; then do we even have the blessing of the Spirit to minister anywhere? Beginning with my own heart; I (we) must repent and return to our original calling; at home! Lord; have mercy on us; sinners.
    www.nancylincoln.net
    posted by Nancy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:20 pm
  13. Thank you Rachel for what you wrote...you will never know the affirmation the Holy Spirit has given to my heart in your words today. I have been assaulted for years from the enemy of my soul (Satan) in choosing public education for my children. They have battled but as you said; I have taught them how to "stand in the battle" not run from it. Thank you dear sister in Christ for your "timely words of encouragement". Email me nancy@pregnancycenterclinton.org if you want to chat more!

    Blessings sisters in Christ!
    www.nancylincoln.net
    posted by Nancy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:26 pm
  14. This comment is for Rachel who wrote about homeschooling being a means of shielding our children from the real world and thereby setting them up for greater difficulties down the road. Rachel, homeschooling does not shelter children from the real world. What is does is provide the parent the opportunity of choosing when and how to teach our children about the "real world" (or more accurately, sin). If you think about it, public school is really not the "real world." It's a pretty artificial environment really -- putting 25-30 kids of the same age in one classroom. The classroom situation of the public school is not mirrored in any other arena of life. Nowhere in the "real world" are kids sequestered with a peer group consisting entirely of their own age group. The "real world" involves socialization with many people, of many different ages. Part of what's wrong with your thinking is assuming that homeschooled children are kept in the house all day. Not so. As homeschoolers, my children have the opportunity to be around many different people on a daily basis (whether we go visit our friend who is dying of ALS, whether we go the local nursing home and visit elderly friends there, play with neighborhood children, when we take part in scout activities, church activities, swim club, soccer, etc). Yes, our day involves much socialization with children of the same ages as my own -- but we are able to branch out much further. This broader life experience actually affords homeschooled children greater ability to cope with "real life" than their counterparts in public school. You mention "bullying" as an example -- implying that homeschooled children won't be equipped to deal with a bully if they aren't put in a public school situation. I smiled when I read that. Believe me, there is ample opportunity for a homeschooled child to be exposed to bullying. :) Rachel, homeschooling is a wonderful, rich experience for our family and many others. Who knows -- maybe you'll want to take advantage of the riches of a homeschooling experience for your own family someday. I promise you won't regret it!
    posted by Sharon
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:52 pm
  15. Dear Sharon, you really do seem to have a chip on your shoulder!

    Nancy, you are so right; you are teaching your children how to take care of themselves in public away from their "mommies" and you will forever be grateful for allowing them that opportunity.

    Rachael, you are right, God did not bless us with children to shelter them from the world and place them in a bubble.

    I thank the Christian teachers that do teach in our public school systems!

    sam
    posted by sam
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 2:44 pm
  16. This comment is for Sharon..........Comparing the real world between being at home with MOM all the time to a classroom of the same aged kids, I think the later more describes the "real world." Our children must learn life skills when they are young, not when they turn 18 and go to college or when they go into the workforce and meet opposition. You are sheltering your kids. You are robbing them of so much by not letting them go. I agree, with Rachael, God did not bless us with children for us to be selfish and untrustworthy of Him to watch over them and take care of them. Where's your trust? Where's your faith?

    We cant be mother hens to them all their lives.
    posted by goodgrief!
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 2:53 pm
  17. Each "man or MOM" stands or falls before the Lord....in fairness here - we all must stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account. We must seek the Lord and obey His voice. There is no right or wrong here - its following the Shepherd's VOICE and raising our children before Him in and by faith. Blessings to all who have been given the priviledge to raise this next generation for Christ - must we do so in His Spirit for His glory!
    posted by Nancy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:07 pm
  18. Each "MOM" stands or falls before the Lord....in fairness here we all must stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account for the choices we make in raising our children. We must seek the Lord and obey His voice and be content there. There will always be someone who will judge us but when we have heard clearly from Him we can stand firm in our parenting decisions. There is no right or wrong here; its following the Shepherd's VOICE and raising our children before Him in and by faith. God Grace & many blessings to all who have been given the priviledge to raise this next generation for Christ; maby we continue on and do so in His Spirit and for His glory!
    posted by Nancy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:09 pm
  19. This comment is for Rachel who wrote about homeschooling being a means of shielding our children from the real world and thereby setting them up for greater difficulties down the road. Rachel, homeschooling does not shelter children from the real world. What is does is provide the parent the opportunity of choosing when and how to teach our children about the "real world" (or more accurately, sin). If you think about it, public school is really not the "real world." It's a pretty artificial environment really -- putting 25-30 kids of the same age in one classroom. The classroom situation of the public school is not mirrored in any other arena of life. Nowhere in the "real world" are kids sequestered with a peer group consisting entirely of their own age group. The "real world" involves socialization with many people, of many different ages. Part of what's wrong with your thinking is assuming that homeschooled children are kept in the house all day. Not so. As homeschoolers, my children have the opportunity to be around many different people on a daily basis (whether we go visit our friend who is dying of ALS, whether we go the local nursing home and visit elderly friends there, play with neighborhood children, when we take part in scout activities, church activities, swim club, soccer, etc). Yes, our day involves much socialization with children of the same ages as my own -- but we are able to branch out much further. This broader life experience actually affords homeschooled children greater ability to cope with "real life" than their counterparts in public school. You mention "bullying" as an example -- implying that homeschooled children won't be equipped to deal with a bully if they aren't put in a public school situation. I smiled when I read that. Believe me, there is ample opportunity for a homeschooled child to be exposed to bullying. :) Rachel, homeschooling is a wonderful, rich experience for our family and many others. Who knows -- maybe you'll want to take advantage of the riches of a homeschooling experience for your own family someday. I promise you won't regret it!
    posted by Sharon
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:35 pm
  20. Real world= Earth

    Does one live on mars whilst they home-school? If so, I must have missed the bus when that info was doled out .

    Bubble? A word to humiliate? Maybe, maybe not but either way it does not thus make one right.

    The Lord will guide each as they pray and read, please love your brethren fervently and refrain from name calling.

    Lastly, if one is angry with the home-school crowd could it be for any of these reasons: Because they don't want the fullness of responsibility for schooling their own? You chose to have them but are glad it's the norm to fork them over and heave the responsibility on strangers with their own agendas? Could it be that you enjoy the free babysitting? Could it be that you enjoy fitting in this 'real world'? On the other side of the coin: Maybe you're a two income household and 'need' to be this way. Or: Maybe you're a mom who waited her whole life for children and adore the chance to spend nearly all your hours with the ones you waited so long for? Or: Maybe you're a controlling person and want to watch their every move. Whatever it is, the Lord (if you're a Christian) owns you and He will guide you as you choose.

    Please check your bitterness and anger at the door, either side of this discussion. :c) Eph 4:30-32 and 5:1

    I was hoping this was a balanced opinion, I realize I lean toward the homeschooling crowd because I love homeschoolers. BUT I love moms who are 'after school-ers' the kind that are so glad to have their children home they have plans and projects awaiting. Better still I love all my sisters, however they choose.
    posted by Look@BothAndLove
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:38 pm
  21. My children attend public school and they are still "home-schooled." Its a Godly calling for all us parents to home-school.
    posted by pb
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:49 pm
  22. This comment is for "goodgrief." You incorrectly state that my children are "at home with MOM all the time." Not true. Read my post again. :)

    And this comment is for "Sam." Sam, I am not angry & don't have a chip on my shoulder. I just want to set the record straight about homeschooling; one of my friends said it best. As homeschoolers, we are not trying to keep our children innocent. We are training them to be holy.

    I humbly apologize if any of my comments offended you. That was truly not my intent. Please forgive me. (I think that one of the dangers of writing my thoughts rather than having the opportunity to speak face to face is that it's easy to misunderstand each other's intent). As sisters in Christ, let's agree to assume the best of each other (not accuse).
    Lovingly,
    Sharon
    posted by Sharon
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:53 pm
  23. I guess I missed something...i thought your response,Sharon, was gentle and gracious...seasoned with salt. For all the seemingly harsh responses, we are not here to judge but to encourage one another, and all the more so as we see the day approaching. Parenting isn't easy for anyone,is it? May we keep our eyes on Him and walk humbly each day hand in hand with our all loving and sovereign God. I am convinced He is not so concerned about where we or our children are as our heart conditions. Help us all, God to abide in you.
    truewoman.com
    posted by kathy
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 4:07 pm
  24. This is for Tracy ;o) If your husband is leading your family into homeschooling...go with it! It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Don't be afraid, but count the costs! As there will be many. Yet it's so rewarding.

    You cannot go wrong with your husband leading. Even if you don't agree with him (and it's not sin), the Lord will bless you under HIS hedge of protection. But, since your husband seems to be leading this way, I think that's wonderful!

    There are no guarantees as to how our children will turn out. It's all by God's grace. BUT...we are given a job as parents from the Lord. We are all to evangelize and disciple our children. We can only speak for ourselves. Given the culture...we have a HUGE job to do.

    And Tracy...look at the statistics on homeschooling. It is a great way to go. God will bless you! BTW...we have six little ones that we are homeschooling :o)
    posted by Jen
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 5:37 pm
  25. Hi Kimberley thanks for the wonderful post, i am a new mom, my son is three years old, i do pray alot now for his future. Children do see everything from their parents, children are what their parents make of them. . I love the word of God where it says teach ur children the ways of God so that when they grow old they will not neglect it. I am working so hard on it to dicipline my boy, as i want him to be polite, its hard work though. But i am just setting a Godly example to him. God bless ur post.
    posted by Brenda
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 7:13 pm
  26. Something to ponder on the homeschool issue. . .who is really discipling your child(ren)? How much time do you actually spend with your child after school or on the weekends teaching them the Word of God and instructing them in righteousness? Be honest with yourself as you answer the questions and compare that to the 40 hours a week (or so) the school system has to "disciple" your child. Do we leave our children in school because that's how it's always been or because we honestly believe before God that is where we can best teach them to be followers of Christ? The results are His but how are we being faithful to our calling.
    posted by Terri
    on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 8:11 pm
  27. My children attend public school and views it as a huge mission field! They love it! Thank you God for using them! Amen
    posted by sue
    on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 6:59 am
  28. I think its sad how many families are involved in outreach programs, ministries, community organizations, etc., but are constantly leaving their children in the care of others while they do the Lord's work. I dont think this is the way God intended it to be. I think our children should be able to serve along side of us. I encourage family ministries where children can be involved. If we are constantly "pawning" our children off on relatives or our spouses, then something is wrong.

    As for the homeschooling issue, its a personal choice. I believe there are pros and cons for both homeschool and public and what might work for one family may not work for another. Pray about it and allow God to lead you.

    Have a great day!
    posted by deb
    on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 7:05 am
  29. Traci - I've been homeschooling many years, and now have college grads who are doing great in that real world they were sheltered from!

    As an older woman now - my advice would be two things. One, homeschooling is not a huge decision. It's not like getting married - you CAN turn back if you want to. So don't be afraid to try it out. My husband and I look back and laugh about how stressed we were about making that decision. Don't stress and know that you can always get in the car and go right back to that school.

    Another thing is that you mentioned the time to teach our children being short. I would say that it's a lot shorter than people think. I always kind of had 18 years in mind. But what I've learned is that we can't wait - the real time to teach our children is when they are young. If we don't do it well when they are young, they are DONE listening to us shortly after 6th grade! We only really have 18 years when we were doing a good job already.

    When it comes to public school or private school or babysitters or anything - I don't think we can say there is a perfect right or wrong choice. But I certainly think it's safe to say the God gave these children to YOU. Therefore, He wanted YOU to raise them. Can you delegate? Sure! But I think we better make sure that as we delegate our responsibility, it needs to be because we know someone who will teach them BETTER than us. Not just whatever youth pastor or school teacher happens to be sitting there...
    posted by annie
    on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 8:12 am
  30. God gave us each different "gifts." We have some wonderful teachers in the public school system. I personally learned so much from my public school teachers; and that didnt take anything away from what I was taught at home by my parents. I had the best of both worlds!

    God Bless.
    posted by susan
    on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 11:04 am
  31. Thank you for the words of wisdom offered in kindness. I'm reminded of Proverbs 31:27a...she looks well to the ways of HER household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Each mom's decision is ultimately between her husband, herself, and the Lord! God has been using the deciding process to expose my selfishness and lead me to a place of brokenness, so for that I am truly grateful =) Regardless of the final decision for OUR family, my firm belief and counsel is that prayer and example needs to be the first priority as a parent when it comes training our children.

    I'm really kind of troubled that one comment about a blog being an answer to prayer in my heart has turned into a debate. I'm sorry True Woman and Revive our Hearts. May the grace of our Lord wash over this blog and fill our hearts with His love.
    posted by Tracy
    on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 12:26 pm
  32. GOd is sovereign and GOd uses all circumstance to conform us to HIs image. He uses our children to show us our sin and to refine us and prepare us for Himself. God directs our paths and man will not thwart Gods purposes. GOd is good to bring us to our knees no matter what He uses to do it. He uses the world and our home to grow us in the Fear of the Lord and to not be wise in our own eyes and to not depend on man, including ourselves. May we keep an eternal perspective and love one another and may the gospel message be on our lips before we speak. Help us to be slow to speak and abounding in love gentle and kindhearted as Christ is with us. It is all to give Glory and not for us to boast. May we boast in Christ alone. For without Him we would all perish.
    posted by GRATEFUL
    on Friday, July 16, 2010 at 1:39 pm
  33. Dear Sisters,

    RE:Home or Public School?

    You've forgotten a third alternative...Private Christian school.

    For the record, my children have experienced all three and are currently attending public school.

    Although my husband and I both prayed about these things, we weren't always in complete agreement. Although I knew that I should defer to my husband, I wasn't always pleased to do it.

    What I've learned so far:
    I can be very selfish concerning my own children.
    There are tests and trials with all three scenarios.
    I have way less control over the lives of my children than I think I do or than I want to have.
    There have been good and bad experiences for our family in each type of learning environment.
    None of them have been easy choices to make.
    All of them required us to trust the Lord for the outcome.

    God uses every experience to reveal what's in the hearts of our children and ourselves so that He can conform us into the image of His Son.

    Think of the people God has used. What is the educational history of Abraham, Jacob (and Esau),
    Joseph (and his brothers), Moses, Daniel, the disciples and Saul/Paul of the Bible? Consider other godly men and women throughout the ages. Many were trained in the light of Christian homes and schools, but others grew up in ignorance of God, yet all of God's people were called out of the darkness of their own understanding and given the mind of Christ in order to do His Will.

    I believe that the greatest things we can teach our children is that the Word of God is true and Jesus is real and that loving unconditionally is living.

    Simple; not ever easy.

    Oh, LORD,
    Help us to trust YOU!!!
    posted by Tammy
    on Monday, August 23, 2010 at 9:07 am

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