We homeschool our children.  In this post I want to try and explain why we have chosen this route.  I know that this can be a controversial subject for some people.

There are all kinds of stereotypes that get thrown around on both sides of the conversation.  If we were honest, none of these can be accurate or fair to an entire group of people.

This is not a post to try and convince you that you should homeschool your children.

This is just me trying to explain why we’ve made this decision for our kids.

We homeschool because. . .

1.  We are responsible for training our children

We believe that God has commanded us to train our children.  The best way for that to happen is for us to spend significant amounts of time with them.  Homeschooling allows us to do that.

2.  We believe that character training is the most important training they can get

We believe that training our children in godly character is more important than anything else.  Homeschooling allows us to make this our primary focus.

3.  We want them to grow up with a Christian worldview

We want our children to see this God-drenched world for what it is, God-drenched.  Homeschooling allows us to help them develop a worldview that sees God at the center of the past, present and future.

4.  We want them to be best friends with their siblings

Homeschooling brings our family together rather than separating us.

5.  We want them to love learning

Homeschooling gives us the freedom to pursue our children’s natural curiosity.  We can tailor the learning to their unique personalities.

6.  We want to place them in an environment that will lead them down the narrow road

We are responsible for discipling our children.  A part of that discipleship is placing them in an environment that helps to move them closer to God rather than in one that pulls them away.

I will probably do a series of follow-up posts discussing some of the most common objections that people bring up to us.

So what potential issues do you see with homeschooling?

I recent’y blew it again as a father.  This time it was a careless word spoken while with my sons at our fantasy football draft party.  For those of you that might be hoping for some major foul language, I’m sorry to disappoint.  The word that I carelessly spoke was “idiot.”  Now there may be some of you that would scoff and think that I’m being overly dramatic.  But that isn’t a word that we want to be a part of our vocabulary and we certainly don’t want to teach our kids to use it.

Ephesians 4:29  ”Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

The issue really isn’t even about the word as much as it is the fact that I modeled something that I did not want my boys to emulate.

I once again had to apologize and ask for my 2 oldest sons to forgive me.  And once again they were quick to forgive.  My prayer is that God makes up for my many shortfalls as a father so that my children can be all that He intends them to be.

Have you ever had to apologize?

God is good even when you have a bad day.

God is good even when people disappoint you.

God is good even when you lose your job.

God is good even when cancer strikes.

God is good even when people hurt you.

God is good even when your world seems to be crashing down around you.

God is good even when tragedy comes upon you.

God is good even when all of your hopes are dashed.

God is good even when your baby dies.

God is good.

God’s goodness has absolutely nothing to do with my circumstances and everything to do with His Character.  He is good even when it doesn’t seem like it.

God is good.

to waste is. . . to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander

I don’t want to waste any more moments.

I want to spend every moment on things that matter.

We live in a sex-drenched culture that lures us further and further away from purity of thought and deed.

Part of my role as a husband and father is to protect my family and that includes protecting them from those influences that move them away from God’s best rather than towards it.

You might think that the “big game” commercials are no big deal, I think that we have been deceived.

I think that we are already okay with way too much that doesn’t line up with God’s best for us.

So, if I’m going to watch TV (which is becoming less and less) it will be with remote in hand ready to avoid less than God’s best.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

So what precautions do you take?

Do you think I’m over reacting?

]]> http://jeffhossler.com/remote-ready/feed 0 http://jeffhossler.com/how-were-giving-christmas-away-and-you-can-too http://jeffhossler.com/how-were-giving-christmas-away-and-you-can-too#comments Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:09:51 +0000 Jeff http://jeffhossler.com/?p=457 One of the challenges as a parent is to help keep the focus of Christmas on Christ. With all of the gifts, treats and parties our focus can easily shift away from God’s gift to us. The fact that He shows us His love in sending His Son and that He wants us to turn around and show that love to the world.

One of the ways that we’ve found to help our family stay focused is to choose some way that we can give part of our Christmas away. Last year it was the well project that our church did. This year it is Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Catalog.  They are an organization that we really believe in and their catalog makes it extremely easy for you to help at many different financial levels.  It’s a great thing for the kids to look through and pick out the things that they want to give to someone around the world in need.  It’s a way that they can really make a difference in the world.

It reminds them of how much they have and the responsibility that is theirs to be their “brother’s keeper.”

So how about you?  How do you keep focused over Christmas?

If you don’t already have some way that you give Christmas away, I want to encourage you to give Samaritan’s Purse a try.

The way young girls and ladies dress today should make us all blush.

There are times when I don’t know where to look. Awkward times when some young girl, lady or aging lady trying to be younger lady walks by. And I’m embarrassed, not for me, but for them. The way that they have dressed tells me to look certain places, but my heart, God’s Word and my undying devotion to my wife tell me instead to look at their countenance, who they really are.

I know that it’s “just the style,” “it’s normal.” I’m sorry, just because something is normal doesn’t mean it’s right. Jesus said that what we talk about and how we talk about it tells us something about what’s in our hearts. He said that where we place our treasure tells us something about what’s really in our hearts. I would suggest that how we dress tells us something about what’s in our hearts too.

The young girl who wears tight jeans or short-shorts is showing us more than just her body. She is showing us something about her heart.

The lady who wears tight or low-cut shirts is showing us more than her cleavage. She is showing us something about her heart.

The aging lady who feels compelled to spend out-of-balance efforts on her body is showing us more than just her desire for attention. She is showing us something about her heart and what makes her fell valuable.

The desire for attention, appreciation, affection, affirmation. The desire to feel beautiful. Desires that were never intended to be fulfilled through choosing to turn yourself into an object. Desires that should be fulfilled through a relationship with the lover of your soul and other godly relationships.

I understand how things could get this way in the world but shouldn’t the church be different? Shouldn’t the church be a place where young girls and women don’t feel the pressure that they do everywhere else? A place where who they really on the inside is affirmed, appreciated and celebrated? A place where men and young boys don’t have to face constant temptation at every turn?

I’m not suggesting skirts down to your ankles and turtle necks (not that there is anything wrong with that) but there are certain things that you shouldn’t want anyone to see besides your husband. You shouldn’t want anyone other than your husband to see your underwear because your jeans are cut so low. You shouldn’t want anyone other than your husband to see every curve of your body because your clothing is so tight. You shouldn’t want anyone other than your husband to see your breasts because your shirt is so tight or cut low.

Now that most of you ladies are offended and on the defensive, I want you to know that I don’t think it’s your fault. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of us men. On the shoulders of us husbands and fathers.

Why have we allowed things to go this far? Why are we okay with our daughters and wives walking out the door dressed in ways that will attract attention to their bodies rather than their character and soul? I believe that this too says something about what’s in our hearts.

What if instead we created an environment and culture where they felt beautiful not because of what their bodies were like or how they looked but because of who they were in Christ? What if they felt so secure in who they were because of how well we loved them that they didn’t care what that teenage boy or middle-aged man thought of them?

That’s the culture that I’m trying to create in my home. That’s the culture that I hope to see cultivated in the community of faith that I pastor.

Why do you think girls and ladies dress the way they do?

Do you think things have gone too far or am I off base?

I told C very clearly that he needed to pick up all of the balls and put them back in the pit. I then went in the other room to begin retrieving the balls from under all of the furniture. When I came back in the room I found C throwing a balloon up in the air and hitting it as he shouted with excitement at how high it went. I knelt down at his level and again told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to pick up his mess. His response was a very animated “Oh!” almost like he had completely misunderstood my previous directions.

I went back to get some more balls only to return to C throwing the balls all over the basement. I sat him down and more sternly told him that if he didn’t pick up his mess that it would be time for him to go to bed. His response was once again “Oh!” like “you meant these balls in that pit?” So I took him by the hand and together we picked up every single ball and put it back in the pit.

I wonder if I sometimes act with the same attitude when God asks me to do something?