The other day, I was talking with a discouraged homeschooling mom.  She and her husband homeschool  because they want to raise faithful, honorable, educated children.  To that end, they want to make Bible education a priority.  Unfortunately, they are only just now developing their own knowledge of the Bible.  Neither of them grew up studying the Bible, and the idea of teaching it to their children is intimidating.  As she said, "I have no problem teaching math or reading.  I know those subjects.  But, I grew up in a church that put zero emphasis on Bible study.  My husband was the same.  We have been trying to study more ourselves, but the responsibility for the faith lives of our kids seems overwhelming when we feel so unequipped."

Do you ever feel this way?  Has Bible education been side-lined until you can find the "right" curriculum or until you "know enough"?  Maybe you simply need permission to look at this from a different angle.

First of all, Bible education in your homeschool isn't rocket science.  God made His Word accessible to those who seek Him.  I'm going to be very honest with you.  When I spoke with this woman, the first thing I felt was empathy.  I have also felt completely unequipped in this area.  It has only been in the last 10 years that I really started studying the Bible in earnest.  I didn't even know how.  But once I decided on a method and committed the time, I was amazed at how much my study enriched my day-to-day life.  I still don't understand everything in the Bible.  Does anyone this side of heaven?  I choose to see that as a plus… there's always something new to learn.  Isn't that part of what homeschooling is all about?

Second, while there are many resources out there, realize that they are all tools to help you focus on one thing… the Bible.  Don't be overwhelmed by the curriculum and study guides and book options you come across.  If you'd like a template, seek one with a philosophy that fits for your family and use it as a tool.  My criteria are: 1) no Bible "lite," meaning I am not crazy about programs that are heavy on the arts and crafts and lite on Bible reading. 2) Facts before feelings.  I get frustrated with programs that ask young children how they "feel" about Bible passages.  Feelings rooted in themselves are highly unreliable.  I want my children to focus their efforts at thorough understanding first. 3) Historical context for illumination.  The Bible was written from a perspective and in a time about which many of us know next to nothing.  I look for concordances and footnotes and commentary that shed light on the 'why' in addition to the 'what.' 

Third, real Bible study can be most productive with only the Word of God and possibly a few tools.  You don't need every Bible study guide known to man.  Simply, make sure you have your Bible at hand and read to your children directly.  Even if your curriculum provides you with the text, I would skip it and go straight to God's Word.  Your children will begin to realize that the Book is more than just a book.  Get a good concordance, commentary, Bible dictionary and maybe a book of historical maps to help your kids see the political and geographical landscape of the Bible.  That's all you really need to draw your children deep into the subject.

Fourth, the model of your faith is more important to your children than your familiarity with Hebrew or Greek.  When you demonstrate that you are still learning, this will motivate your children as well.  When I have my quiet time each morning, my son will sometimes sit next to me and read from his Discoverer's Bible.  An example, even an imperfect one, has more impact that you can imagine.

I realize that parents today, more often than not, forget that they are to be models of wisdom to their children.  We see this everyday in adults that never seem to want to grow up.  But, for those of you who are worried that you haven't got enough wisdom, I just want to remind you that the impact of God's Word on the life of your children comes to them through the Holy Spirit.  God will get to them with you, through you and often, in spite of you:-)  So, take heart and teach them.  He promises to come alongside you in your calling as a parent. 

Next time, we'll get into more detail on specific how to's and other resources for Bible education.

Photo by Kym McLeod, www.gisministry.org

I often wonder, "Why are people exhausted from their efforts, yet have little of the yield that they seek?"  For example, stress levels are high, time seems to be at a premium, and yet, rarely do you meet someone who is really enjoying their day-to-day life.  This isn’t just a fringe phenomenon either.  Many people wonder how they got to middle-age without anything meaningful to show for it.  Yet, there are people who seem to live life with a joie de vivre that lights all they touch.  What is the secret to a life that yields results?  What results are significant enough to strive toward?  And, how do we measure our yield?

This question prompted me to do some research.  A quick (and notably unscientific) survey gave me some insight.  I asked a few people for the name of someone who embodied a life well-lived.  Once we got past the occasional Donald Trump or Bill Gates, the results were very telling.  Mother Theresa, a soldier who had earned the Bronze star, the couple who runs the homeless shelter, and (you may have already guessed this one), their mother:-) were the types of responses I was seeing. 

This little experiment just reinforced the message that God had placed before me.  Service and sacrificial living are still longed for in this society.  Meaningful living is still personified in someone like Mother Theresa.  Granted, we all won’t have the same gifts or calling, but that spiritual light that comes from service to others is available to us all.  Maybe that is the not-so-secret secret.  Maybe, we have been looking at the wrong results.  Maybe our yield comes not from what we have or what we have achieved, but instead, by who we have touched.

Cicero once said, "It is our special duty, that if anyone needs our help, we should give him such help to the utmost of our power."  A simple duty, but not an easy one.  Life moves at full throttle most of the time.  Any spare moments that we have are often dedicated to getting that last email out or another load of laundry in.  Some days, we may not feel very power-ful.  However, by taking a moment to pray for a neighbor, sincerely and with passion, we have served another.  You have given a helping piece of your spirit, anonymously, to someone who may have no other person in the world lifting them up in prayer in that moment.  Powerful thought, isn’t it?  By sending another mom a reassuring glance in the grocery store as their toddler throws an "I want candy!" fit, your goal is more noble than you’d probably guess.  You are communicating empathy and comfort in an environment that is probably feeling quite hostile.  What a gift!  By living in that one moment, we are striving to a meaningful result.

Even so, though, we don’t really know whether the neighbor was healed.  We can’t really tell if our message to the grocery store mom actually yielded what we intended.  How do we measure whether we are "succeeding" in our efforts?  As usual, the Holy Spirit has given us just the metric we need to determine whether we are yielding our intended results.  It is called the peace of the Spirit.  Just as measuring our yield in worldly terms often frustrates, measuring our yield in service and sacrifice instead bring an inexplicable joy and reverance. 

The Father, as usual, gives us all we need.  Sometimes, we just need to measure results with a different stick. As you go through your day, use seemingly insignificant opportunities such as these to serve.  Then, analyze what is left in your heart.  Are you still exhausted?  Or have you instead been given an abundance of peace in your spirit?    

Point B – "The more you do, the more you do."  Also true.

So, what is the secret for taking your mindset from Point A to Point B?  In my Walk the Donut post, I touched on the significance of recognizing and focusing on your Core Elements.  The first Element is what I like to call the SoulStretch. 

Isn't that an uplifting term?  According to Webster's dictionary, the soul is the animating principle or actuating cause of an individual life.  To stretch is to reach out; to extend in length; to expand to fulfill a larger function; to become extended in length, breadth or both. Our goal in the SoulStretch is to take God's essence within us and extend it in both length and breadth.  By stretching ourselves beyond what we currently know, by challenging ourselves reasonably every day, we are able to grow in strength and in flexibility.  I don't know about you, but as a mom, I need both strength and a healthy dose of flexibility! 

It is ironic, isn't it, that the Element with the greatest potential for impact is the one we find it hardest to make time for?  God doesn't yell down the stairs at us… study doesn't call on the phone… prayer and reflection do not need to be nursed back to health.  We need to remember, however, that our time with God is crucial, study gives us fortitude, and prayer and reflection calm our thoughts and ground our spirits.  Though these activities don't fall into the urgent category, they need to be tended to regularly because they are the foundation that holds up all of our other, more urgent activities. 

Taking time to align ourselves with God is vital, but He isn't up there prodding us along.  He is a patient God.  Instead, He waits on us.  The kids don't, the bills don't and heaven knows the laundry doesn't.  Our chores and responsibilities sit prominently in focus, clamoring for attention.  Luckily, though, we can bring our lives to Him and use Him to stretch and strengthen our spirits.  With that extra strength and flexibility, we will be able to accomplish more with less stress. 

Let's schedule some time for a three-part SoulStretch…

Feed the Spirit:  Read the Word, read books about the Word, read articles that inspire and uplift, listen to inspirational music.  Any and all of these primes your heart and mind for time with Him.

Pray: Pour out your praise, fears, petitions, joys, concerns and questions.  He can take it!  There are no rules for talking to the Lord.  It is about loving Him and leaning on Him.  There are times in my life when I don't even know how to pray about something.  Sometimes, it is too deep or too painful or I just don't have enough wisdom to know what to ask.  Then, I fall back on the Lord's Prayer.  Just asking for daily bread is enough.  He knows your heart, and answering your heart is how he provides that bread.  He is always listening. 

Listen:  Now, it's our turn.  Be silent… I know, at times this seems impossible.  Every fiber of us is trained to DO.  But, the actual stretching of your soul comes not from doing, but from being.  Try not to seek an epiphany.  God does not often shout during these times of silence.  Sometimes he whispers answers into our spirits that we will only find later, when they are most needed.

Today, start with this.  Read an inspiring article online to feed your spirit.  Take 5 solid minutes of time just to pray.  Then, sit for an additional 5 minutes in simple silence.  This mere 15 minute exercise will stretch your spirit and give you what you need to DO all of the activities with peace.  And at the end of the day, thank Him for breathing His peace into you.