|
I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. Phillipians 4:13* We are so glad that you have stopped by our webpage for Homeschoolers! The Lord has taught us so much through our 7 years of homeschooling.
 Click here if you've already been to our site before and would like to jump straight to the list of our other Homeschooling Resources.
Homeschooling can be a challenge itself...but all of us will face one sort of adversity or another. Our's came in the form of serious chronic illness for me, "Mom" (a.k.a. Denice)... so in addition to my many roles as "momma", nurse, housekeeper, chef, bookkeeper and of course TEACHER I also play the constant role as what I kiddingly call, "Professional Patient". And I have not faced any of this alone...We as a FAMILY have had a lot of adjustments to make. Our family was faced with long extended hospitalizations, hours spent in doctors offices and physical therapy centers and we had to learn to adjust our homeschool days for the "down days" when I am unable to get out of my bed...the girls with books, pens, markers, etc. in tow climb into bed WITH me and we do our learning together there! And occasionally (although thankfully these days are fewer and fewer) there are those days when "momma" is just too sick or having too much pain to even manage ANY "teaching". And you know...now as I sit here, writing this and reflecting back...I think it is on these days that we all learn the most... the most of what REALLY matters in this world. My children are learning that THEY CAN overcome adversity! No...the world is NOT a perfect place but THROUGH CHRIST and with each other there isn't ANYTHING that we can not overcome! On these days the girls do even MORE than their "fair share" with the housework, and their schoolwork consists of lots of free reading in the classics, they peruse through their favorite science magazines, they bake cookies together and they type up creative writing assignments on the computer. But what they've really learned is how to pull together as a family...how to be compassionate as they bring me a cold compress for my aching head or another cup of tea.
So...I want to share what our family has...IS...learning. Day by day, together-we are growing and learning and we are seeking to become the people that our Lord would have us to be. And we are learning a little at a time, the "Life's Lesson's" that God is teaching us as He strengthens us as individuals and as a family through the "adversities" that come our way. If YOUR FAMILY is facing some form of adversity...and perhaps you wonder how you can continue to teach your children at home as you face this "hurdle"...read on. For as I am typing these words, I am praying and asking the Lord to use all that He has taught our family...and all that we have yet to learn...to use it somehow in someone's life, so that all that we have suffered will not be in vain. It is our prayer that something in our homeschool pages will minister to your family in some way. * "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." II Corinthians 1:3-4
God's Richest Blessings upon you and yours, Always... ~dgw |
|
Update: Our family is changing, as the days pass at record speed! I am now homeschooling only ONE of the girls- my Emma. April graduated in 2000 and is studying to be a veterenerian Technician. Erin just completed her studies over the summer and plans to begin cosmetology school this coming Spring. I am amazed at how quickly these precious years are flying by! Mothers, please cherish these days of noise, crayons, fingerprints and messes. They will be over before you know it... Now that I am getting closer to the end of this journey I've found that I have learned as much if not MORE than I have taught. This has been a blessed experience that I would not trade for anything! Now I am looking forward to having lots of "one-on-one time" with Emma and to all that she and I will learn together.
|
|
Emma :is now 15 and will soon be starting her Grade 10 work.She is taking Drum lessons (yes, DRUM!) and enjoys playing and learning new music. She LOVES music and is considering a career in musical engineering and/or broadcasting. She also enjoys reading, drawing, science and history. Emma recently enlisted in the U.S. Navy Cadets. She is so excited about this new "venture". She will attend a "Boot Camp" in the summer, she'll participate in lots of classes and activities and even get the opportunity to visit some naval bases, submarines and ships. She will earn rank as well as college money and after graduation she will have the option of enlisting in regular Navy at a higher pay grade and rank. (This proud Momma will add a photo of her daughter in uniform as soon as it becomes available!) Emma is a very intelligent girl and has a great sense of humour, always making me laugh! :o) She is always a big help around the house and does lots of extra cleaning and chores occasionally to earn some spending money. Emma and I enjoy watching movies together from time to time. * Erin:is now 17 and she has worked through the summer to complete her homeschool studies. One thing I love about homeschooling my children is that I have the freedom to allow them to be themselves, rather than forcing them into a mold. Erin has no interest at this time in a 4 year college program. I have always felt that God's ultimte calling for Erin will be becoming a wonderful wife and mother. She loves cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. and she has a very nurturing, loving personality. For now she plans to attend cosmetology school. She enjoys fixing her sisters hair and makeup and will be very good at this.B> Erin recently started working part-time in the office of a home security company. This has given her great experience in customer service and in dealing with the public.Erin still enjoys lots of reading, collecting recipes, baking/cooking and scrapbooking. It's funny how our children are each so unique. Erin's personality and taste is most like mine, so she and I enjoy shopping and running errands together. * April:is now 19. (she "graduated" in May 2000.) She is studying to become a vets. technician. April has a passion for ALL animals and we have always felt that God gave her the interest and talents she has with animals so that she would put them to use someday. April volunteers at an animal rescue shelter and she has a veritable "ZOO" in her little "apartment" her Dad made for her in our basement! :o) It has been such a blessing watching my daughter bloom from a teenager into an independent young woman. It has also been a major learning experience for me as a parent. It's not always easy when your child becomes an adult. Especially if you see them making what you feel to be a mistake. But part of the learning process for both of us is allowing her to make her own decisions as well as her own mistakes so that she can learn from them. But I am so proud of the woman she's becoming. I know that God has great plans for her. She has a special young man in her life and he seems to make her happy. She stays busy with her studies, working part time and having a social life. We set up our basement family room as her little studio apartment, so that she can be "independent" yet she's close enough to spend lots of time with her family too. Like Emma, April can always make me laugh. She's such an interesting, intelligent person. And I'm so proud to be her Mom as well as her friend. It tugs at my heart now...seeing the relationship I now share with APril being so reminiscent of what I shared with MY Mom April is a gifted Poet and Writer I've shared some of her Poetry at "April's Poetry Corner"She also enjoys reading and collecting classic literature...her favorites being C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, Dickinsin and others. April knows that all of the "detours" in her life are not by accident…but rather they are God’s way of keeping her on the path that He has for her life. As the oldest of my 3 girls, my years of illness have been especially hard for her. Several years ago she wrote a small piece about that very topic and it was published in a small homeschool publication. If you'd like to read about a child's perspective on her parent's chronic illness take a moment to read, "My Mom".
|
|
"About Our Homeschool Philosophy"
We believe that God gave all of us a natural desire to learn. Learning is not a habit that we should develop ONLY Monday through Friday or ONLY September through May. Learning is a "life-long adventure ! True Learning does not ONLY come from a text book. True learning can be found in the world around us.
Proverbs 1:5 says, "Let the wise listen and add to their Learning" and Proverbs 1:7 tells us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge"
The priority in our homeschools should be to teach our children in the ways of the Lord. This should come before Math or Grammar!
"Seek His Kingdom, and these things will be given unto you as well" Luke 12:31 |
|
More of our "Homeschool Stuff" *
"Homeschooling Through Family Illness" About our experience with homeschooling while coping with chronic illness * April's talents shared with you * This page was written by my daughter April as a ministry to kids with chronically ill parents or family members * Just what it sounds like! A "journal" that I update from time to time * Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms We ALL need to support each other If you have something you'd like to share here please email it to me. We HS'ing mom's need to support each other. page, PLEASE Email me* A Devotional for Parents * Great Tips from my good friend Patti Muma * Homeschooling Through Adversity Another article published in the Homeschool Gazette about HSing through adversity * |
Our New "How To" Series
I receive many, many email's each week asking questions on various homeschooling topics such as curriculum questions, teaching ideas, discipline issues, organization skills and lots more. so recently the Lord gave me the idea to begin turning some of these rather lengthy email responses into webpages so that I can then refer questions there and also others might find help or encouragement thru something said there too.
I never dreamed the response would be so great! So we are now working to expand this series. Watch for more "How To" pages coming soon! ~ Here I share basic curriculum and teaching ideas * #2 "More Info. for Homeschoolers" More teaching ideas, my educational beliefs, and other ideas and tips that I use in our homeschool * #3 "How Do I Teach Reading?"tips on teaching phonics, the importance of reading for all family members, reading aloud, etc. *
Coming Soon: "What Do I Do When They Want To Go Back?!" Every homeschool mom's worst fear...How our family handled it when our daughter considered returning to public school. ~ "Getting Organized" Tips for finding organization in the midst of chaos! How to organize your home and life even when you're being buried under books, papers, folders and science experiments :o) ~ "Recordkeeping for HS Mom's" My ideas for keeping yearly records and getting ready for end-of-year evaluations ~ More to Come!~ |
Send us an Email
We always look forward to hearing
from other Homeschooling Families
Please stop by our guestbook and
leave your "heartprints" on our life!! :)
Point your "mouse" to my Site Compass
All pages are listed here
*
 
This My Home School World's Webring site is owned by Homeschooling Through Adversity. Want to join My Home School World's Webring? |
|---|
| [Skip Prev] [Prev] [Next] [Skip Next] [Random][Next 5] [List Sites] |
This Page copyrighted by Denice Whitaker, 2001-2002
A Tribute to my Mother/Homeschooling Through Adversity/
The Whitaker Family Kitchen/Chronic Pain-Illness Ministry/Denice's Devotional/
/Webpage & Email Tutorial/To My Child/Friendship/
My Victorian Home/My SoulMate/Graphics/Awards/Friends Pages
