If Walls Could Speak

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Romans 7:18).

If your homeschool walls could speak, what would they say? What secrets would they tell others about your homeschooling family? My walls would tell of quiet times reading books, excited times when science experiments went south, creative times of nightly puppet shows from behind the couch, and joyful times when a child received a hard-earned A+ on a semester test. Unfortunately, my walls would also tell secrets of not-so-nice times when conflicts led to unloving acts or laziness led to procrastination.

Every homeschooling parent knows he falls far short of being the perfect Christian parent. The temptation to allow selfishness, greed, jealousy, and even laziness to take over our lives is strong. Homeschooling is only successful when we listen to the Lord instead of our flesh and submit to His constant love and guidance.

What about you? Have you been focusing on your failures more than your successes? Take heart! We all fail in our efforts to be the best parent and teacher of our children. The true battle that turns our defeat into a homeschooling victory lies in saying "no" to the flesh, so the Holy Spirit can control our every thought and action. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

Lord, thank You for providing the way to have a homeschooling family who glorifies You. Teach me how to say "no" to my whiny flesh and listen to You and Your promises instead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Comments(12 comments)

JANET M 04/02/2009 06:46:49

Just want to share how encouraging this daily devotional is. I haven't even begun homeschooling yet (will Fall 2009), but I'm already comforted by the practical advice and especially your emphasis on God's precious word. Thank you!

Janet M. in Tennessee

HEATHER M 04/02/2010 04:31:26

Every morning I wake up and read the Daily Focus. It is so wonderful to have a devotional that is specifically for homeshooling families. I feel like I can relate to everything that is said and it is such an encouragement to me as I teach my four children. It helps keep my focus on the Lord and what He has called me to do. Thank you so much!

Joanna in NC

TRACY R 04/02/2010 15:37:10

These things are so true. I have been homeschooling for 13 years. Our oldest started college last year. He used Horizons Math and Phonics. These are truly good products. Tracy VA

DIANE B 04/03/2010 16:11:06

I'm thinking of getting SOS for my kids next year; what do you think?

LAURA S 04/02/2011 06:46:08

WOW. I needed this one today! Yes I do tend to focus on my failures rather

than the real and many successes I am achieving.

AMBER K 04/02/2011 10:47:45

My walls don\'t speak but my young ones do. Often times, children tend to repeat what they learn and know. Sometimes I\'m proud and sometimes not so much. These are gentle reminders.

KATHY S 04/02/2012 07:25:07

My walls alos don\'t speak, hwoever when I started this homeschooling journey back in November, I was asked by many in my family and friends, \"who do you turn the work into? Who are you accountable to?

My answer was short and sweet, \"God\" . God knows what we are doing, and he is the one I am accountable to for our homeschooling.

Now, is everything perfect over here? Absolutley not. Our home is peaceful, loving, and patient, but, we could be a little further along in some subjects than we are in others. Mostly due to my accident.

But, all in all, I think God knows my heart, knows we are trying, and there have been some accomplishments that are quite wonderful.

Prayer is something we almost never forget (I never say never).

If you make your homeschool accountability to God, you will always do the best you can, and he will never condem you for doing your best !

Enjoy your day everyone !

LISA C 04/02/2012 12:26:40

Thanks for that reminder Kathy S, your exactly right, God is who we are accountable to. This was a perfect timing devotional after a morning like we had!

BETTY D 04/03/2012 05:50:17

to Diane B: We are in our 1st year of Homeschooling and have been using SOS for 2 of my kids (6th & 5th). Overall it\'s a good product; however, I found that coming direct from public school, the kids were not ready for semi-independent studies yet. I thought the interesting videos & extras that SOS offers would make it fun for them. But they didn\'t know how to read a lesson & pull out the important pieces of info. They had been taught to memorize & repeat in public school, not necessarily how to dissect info & apply it. I still like SOS & recommend it, but with a few precautions. I bought it thinking they could just turn on a computer & learn; be aware that they may still need lots of teacher involvement. The content of SOS is really good, though. Some of the items in my son\'s 5th gr curriculumn is normally not taught until 6th grade in other curriculumns. Overall, a good product.

KATHY SPIELER 04/02/2013 14:55:30

Dear AOP,

This devotional is 2 years old! I commented when I first started homeschooling my son in 6th grade, he's now graduating 8th!

Again, I lo ve all the devotionals and appreciate them, in Love, is the Author not well? Has she stopped writing? Will we have any new devotionals in the future? I miss seeings ones I have not read, and interacting with other home school Moms about them. I have been leaving messages about this, and I have also left a message about a problem with our SOS and how to graduate my son from 8th grade this year. I have left them here and in the "Contact Us" section. Will someone please send me some answers? Thank you. IN Christ, Kathy S.

CARL VAN STRYLAND 04/02/2013 18:14:57

Kathy,

Sorry for the delayed response. We currently offer just one year of Daily Focus devotions, but we have continued to post them year after year on our homeschooling site as a way for homeschoolers to connect with one another online. We appreciate hearing how much homeschool moms like you have enjoyed reading the devotionals.

I have also passed along your questions about SOS and 8th grade graduation to our customer service team, so you should be hearing from them in the near future.

Omaira Garcia 04/02/2014 13:21:18

This devotional touched my heart so much! I always tend to focus on the bad, the not so good, my failures, what my children didn't learn, how I couldn't find a way to teach them in a way that made sense to them. This devotional reminded me that its about always putting GOD first, Always turning to him. It reminds me that I will not always have successes and that whats important is not allowing yourself to focus on your setbacks but to be true and real to yourself. Set backs allow us to humble ourselves and remind us to reach out to the one who truly matters. I've been homeschooling this year for the first time. Let me tell you with everything new comes challenges. We have had to try different strategies almost every time. We finally found a routine that works but it doesn't mean its perfect :) I am nervous but excited to see what God will reveal to me at the end of our h.s. year.


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