I Quit!

Now that you have homeschooled for a few months, are you finding it difficult to stay motivated? Is homeschooling not quite what you expected — too much work? Giving up is not the answer — giving in to the Lord is. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:3-4).

Homeschool parents don't always realize they are attending classes each day just like their children. God's assignments may not be on a computer or in a workbook, but they are just as real and challenging. The basic courses of Patience for Parents, Forgiveness Forever, Endurance 101, and Sacrificial Servanthood cause us to grow more Christlike in our actions. We study the Scriptures and look for answers to new questions we face each day. We pray at test time, hoping to pass. We pray for God to grade on a curve, or at least to allow a retake.

God knows what He is doing. Both you and your children are being schooled at home. Together you will learn all the lessons of life He has prepared for you. Hang in there — it's always too soon to quit! "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (vs. 4).

Father, I don't know if I have what it takes to keep homeschooling. Stretch me Lord! Help me to see those areas in my life that are slowing me down and causing me to stumble. Thank You for all You've done for me on the cross. Give me the strength and wisdom to keep going. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Comments(25 comments)

TIFFANY G 10/01/2008 04:03:14

Yet again, I am receiving this at just he right time and day. God is Amazing! Thank you for putting out a devotional for homeschooling moms that is realistic. I am a mother of 4, 3 of which are schooling at home. The last "baby boy" is at this time being evaluated for autism. It was all seeming too much, but this encouragement was just what I needed. Thanks and God is doing a great work through you! Tiffany

LAVONNE S 10/01/2008 06:38:51

LaVonne

Schwien

Just want to say THANKS! for your daily" focused" PRAYERS.

When I find myself going in circles the prayers truely bring me back to homebase.

Your are a Blessing !

LaVonne ( mother of 6, grandmother of 3, Home Schooling 18+ yrs.)

SAMANTHA S 10/01/2008 12:23:19

Really need this today. Thanks!

ROSIE D 10/01/2008 12:47:50

Thank you. I'm a first time homeschool mom and feeling overwelmed. A friend of mine sent me this e-mail today just in time. Thanks Veronica. Rosie

SHARON B 10/02/2008 07:09:58

Well you have perfect timing on the devotionals. This is one that I really needed to hear today. Thank you so much!! I am amazed sometimes

how I get the devotional that I really need to hear. My son and I love the

"Keys for Kids."

TAMMY G 10/01/2009 04:05:50

More than once has the daily focus been right on target. A word in due season. Who ever is writing these, thank You!!

EMANUELA S 10/01/2009 11:01:31

Oh boy did I need this!

MARLA B 10/09/2009 13:56:31

I just wanted to say everytime I think "Why am I doing this? " I tell my self my son is far better off with just me teaching him than the 5 teachers that were not meeting his needs in public school!

I have a degree in Elem. Ed by the way ! I have got a few looks and comments for taking him out of middle school!!

Sally J 10/01/2010 02:19:11

I agree, this one was right on target for this very moment of the day. Great prayer.

QUENTIN L 10/01/2010 17:07:54

I just wanted thank you for this devotional, my friend e-mail it to me after I called her and said this is it I quit. I really needed this today.

OLIVIA S 10/06/2010 19:57:10

Thank you so much, I really needed this! To be honest I wasn't so used to school work everyday, and It's so hard, and I am tired but after reading this, I don't want to give up so fast, and so easily, when I should've known God was and is my helping hand in times of need.

LAWANDA G 10/05/2011 10:45:23

I am a first time homeschooler, and really am feeling overwhelmed ...we are behind by a couple of days cause my daughter got sick... so please pray for me to have the patience to catch her up.... Thanks

PONY H 10/01/2012 04:39:24

I feel that way at least a hundred times a day I homeschool my 12 and 11 year old sweethearts both asperger's. I thought I was the only one praying half the day just to get through the day.

JUDY H 10/01/2012 07:34:04

Judy Howard

Just want to offer a word of encouragement to Lawanda. After having home schooled for many years I've learned it is far more important to give my student a love of learning than to keep a tight schedule. Beware of trying to cram. I decovered a wonderful friend. My red lead pencil. I check our work off as we do it. If we missed on a given day. I just resume the work where we left off. My 5th grader does better without the pressure. So do I.We are working on skills but also on our relationship.

KATHY S 10/01/2012 07:55:14

Pony H

My 13 year old with Aspberger's is also a sweetie. I call him my "sweet angel from heaven" (only at home).

Anyway, we do well most of the time, but he also has ADD.

At the Library where (we do most of our schooling) the other day he really struggled, and I did too. I have been asking God when I should tell my precious son that he has Aspberger's syndrome.

I never wanted him to know because he was bullied at school so badly, he has little self esteem (I'm working on that).

I kinda reached my patience limit that day, which I have a very high patience limit. He wasn't being rude or anything like that, I just couldn't keep his attention and see that happiness about learning on his face.

When we got in the car to go home, I was prompted to start a story, and in that story, I reminded him of how he had asked me a year ago,"did he have anything else wrong with him besides ADD?"

At that time I couldn't tell him what , I just kinda skirted the issue and said "oh something that Dr. said, I can't remember for sure".

So, I fessed up told him the truth, gave him a light explanation, and I was so relieved and I think he was too.

It must be awful to think you have something wrong with you and not know what. So trying to protect him from the truth was only helpful short term.

It was so cute he said "It's fine, I like being different " and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

So, God allowed me to get to my wits end that day for a purpose.

I hope this week goes better for us and for you and your 2 sweehearts too! May God give you extra strength this week!!~Kathy

MARIAN S 10/01/2012 08:12:42

Homeschooling is so much easier than public school. It saves time and there is much less stress. When my child was in public school, there was so much stress: back and forth e-mails and phone calls to and from the school, driving back and forth to the school, getting sick from the school, and bullying in the school. We are so peaceful now that we don't have to deal with any of that. Without the distractions of a public school, my child can accomplish so much more in a day and we love the curriculum.

TERESA S 10/01/2012 08:27:07

I loved Judy H's advice. I am guilt of keeping a strict schedule - if my kids need or want to spend more time on the subject- that is what we will do. That is probably part of the problem with traditional schooling. It is just tedious work for the kids, they see no relevance to their lives, and so to not pay as much attention to the subjects as they should.

ELLIE P 10/01/2012 15:50:49

I am looking for the Daily Focus where a dear Mom was telling us how behind her son is because of public schools! I wanted to post a comment, but have not been able to find the right date. I am homeschooling my daughter, (12 yrs. old - 7th grade) and we have struggled! She would rather not be homeschooled, but as her parents, we knew it was the best decision. We are using the Bob Jones Curriculum, which is super, but she is struggling. I'm having a hard time myself. . . . if anyone remembers the date of that post... please reply to mine. Thank you!

GORDEN M 10/02/2012 05:55:13

The post was 'The Ongoing Battle" posted on 9-28-12. The ladys name was Hailey S.

http://www.aophomeschooling.com/blog/daily-focus/the-ongoing-battle/

NEIL P 10/02/2012 06:45:52

A msg to encourage Lawanda G.: Ecc 12:12-13: \"And Further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: For this is the whole duty of man.\" Keep going Lawanda, God can use what we consider faults.

Julia Stensland 10/01/2013 16:57:37

Last week was such a disaster with trying to keep an orderly house, keeping my kids on task with their chores, and efficiently doing their schoolwork that I almost thought about quitting. Stressed to the max, I decided to put away all school work for Friday and half of Monday to retrain my kids on how: we treat each other, to work efficiently, and to do things without my nipping at their heels all day long. After those things were accomplished, we slowly have been adding school back in. Now, to just keep this train moving in the right direction! Thanks for your "real" and inspirational devotions!

Dorothy Pardy 10/01/2013 19:59:15

I am thankful for the encouragement on this site. I often think of quitting (already!). I am a new homeschooling mom of 6, five of whom I am homeschooling for the first time this year (two in grade 8, one in grade 6, one in grade 2 and one in grade 1). The two younger ones have autism and ADD. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not doing this in my own strength and I am doing it in obedience to what God has called me to do. Like Julia S, I also had to put the schooling away for a day to regroup and retrain my children. Training up our children takes a lot of time and energy, but it is more important than the school work and we cannot do it if they are not at home!!!

CHRISTINE ELSTON 10/01/2013 20:00:12

Thanks so much for yet another timely and encouraging post. We are nearly 10-year veteran homeschooling parents of a 17-yr-old young man with significant physical disabilities due to cerebral palsy. The wear and tear on our whole family are sometimes nearly overwhelming, and I (mom) as the primary teacher have felt very discouraged lately. It's as if we've hit a wall. We have to will ourselves to move forward, but the process is painstakingly slow...yet it is the speed our son can manage. We are currently praying for perseverance, wisdom, discernment, and just plain strength to seek, see, and follow God's will and purpose--not ours--for our son, on His timetable and His alone, for His glory.

Erica Urvizu 10/01/2014 13:28:26

To all of you homeschooling moms out there, God bless you... I am actually a student still... A senior in fact... My mom has worked so hard to keep me in the right path for schooling and after 6 years of public school, she decided to homeschool me... Well guess what? It was te best thing she could've done... And I commend her for that, as well as all of you. And you wanna know why you're doing this? Because you love your child and you want them to be able focus on school without the drugs and sex influence from public school, you want them to exceed in their education without having to worry about who they are gonna date next in their social group... I know that only moms usually post on here, but as ahomeschooling student, I wanna salute all of you moms for working so hard and making the best choice you have ever made, cause it's what comes from it at the end that counts...God bless you, keep your focus on the Lord, and continuously trust in Him... He will lift you up when you feel like you wanna quit. :)

Jesse Whitehead 10/01/2014 15:52:44

Wow, such a timely devotional for me. I'm a dad, and I've been homeschooling my 10-year old son for 4 weeks now. The last few days have been very difficult, and I've asked myself if I have bit off more than I can chew by trying to teach my son at home.

The words "I Quit" several have come to mind several times lately, but I know that quitting is not the answer. I must persevere and not give up, because I know that ultimately, homeschooling is what is best for my son right now -- and possibly for the rest of his school years.

Thanks so much for these daily devotionals, and keep em coming!

Jesse


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