Book Review: Language Lessons for a Living Education 2

According to Master Books, Language Lessons for a Living Education 2 is a Charlotte Mason flavored approach to elementary language arts. One will enjoy an engaging and effective language arts program for their elementary student. Students will move beyond pages of text and memorization to make real-world connections. This exciting new series will help guide your young learner toward mastery of reading, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as the mechanics of communication and writing. Utilizing phonics, observation, and reading comprehension through poems, stories, and real books as the foundation, your student will start writing basic sentences.

A Life Changing Moment: Following God's Call - Part 2

In a previous blog post, I mentioned how we came to know about the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV). I shared how attending a convention HEAV hosted was a life changing moment for Colleen and I. In this blog post I plan to share some of the ways HEAV has been instrumental in helping us experience a revival like none other in our walk of faith.

A Life Changing Moment: Following God's Call - Part 1

From time-to-time, people ask me about home education. One time in particular someone was really curious about how we taught our children, what we used to teach our children, what it looked like throughout the week, how we did grades, and they were even asking if I was concerned about socialization for my children. As I was sharing with them answers to the questions they had, I realized that our life and our family dynamic, purpose, focus, worldview, and relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ changed drastically from where it was originally heading. And it all started with one small conversation about education!

Book Review: Gospel Reset - Salvation Made Relevant

Times have changed. Some things that worked before do not work now. There are new methods and new ways. There are new perspectives. There are new generations of people as well as older generations. What worked for previous generations seem to be different than what works for newer generations. This appears to be true with the Gospel and primarily it is due to changes in the culture.

Book Review: Teach Them Diligently - Raising Children of Promise

Often times when a child is born into this world, people say they do not come with an owner's manual on how to raise them. I would disagree with that statement and honestly every Christian parent should realize they do have a owner's manual for how to raise their children. Sadly, even Christian parents won't use it since many think it isn't practical or it is out-dated. However the best manual to raise a child is found within God's Word! God is the Creator of everything and He knows exactly how to raise children. I believe this is what Teach Them Diligently - Raising Children of Promise, calls our attention to.

Book Review: Answers For Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask

When my wife (Colleen) and I obeyed the call of the Lord to home educate our children in 2012, it was not a decision that came easy. Both of us were educated through the government education system and we both thought we had positive experiences. So when the thought of homeschooling came to us, we were resistant. Primarily we were resistant due to our misconceptions about homeschooling based on our own limited personal experiences with those we knew were home schooled. We were definitely "those critics" of which which the book Answers for Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, authored by Israel Wayne, mentions.

Book Review - The 5 Love Languages of Children

Ever consider that your children have "emotional tanks"? According to The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, every child and ultimately every adult has an emotional tank. Ensuring the emotional tank of each individual is essential in having healthy lives, healthy relationships and even healthy marriages. The aim of this book is to "love children effectively" and therefore this book helps parents determine their children's "love language". The book not only identifies how to determine a child's love language but most importantly how to provide the love language they need. After reading this book, it has really caused me to pause and consider how I demonstrate God's love to my children. It has caused me to be more aware of my children's emotional tanks. I greatly desire for my love to be communicated effectively such that my children not only know they are loved, but also that they FEEL loved!