I saw a meme on Facebook that said, “And just like that, homeschooling is mandatory!”  I think that it was supposed to be funny, but for a lot of moms and dads this is a daunting task.  Especially if you are still working!  I laughed because after 17 years of homeschooling my kids, I started working and now I am homeschooling again!  So, on top of all the other things that need tending to at home, I go to work and also have to educate the kids.  How are we supposed to manage it all?  I am going to share some of my best practices, as well as some ideas from other moms who are trying to balance everything!  There are just a few things you can focus on and if you do nothing else, you will be successful to the Kingdom of God.  Quiet time, a good schedule with fun things built in and mercy are key to making it through these times with everyone’s heart intact!  “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

As you know, it has to start with the Lord!  I only survive because I start my day focusing on the One who holds it all.  He is our firm foundation, so start the day grounding yourself in His Word!  You will find that when you start the day here, with Him, that even when it is a hard day you can manage it much better than a day started off without your quiet time! “Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ” Colossians 3:24. “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” Proverbs 16:3.   My friend, Lindsey Euton reminds us not to compare yourself to other people and what they post on social media.  Comparison is a mighty tool of Satan to keep us down in defeat.  God never intended for us to be the same as everyone else.  We are the body of Christ, each with unique gifts from the Lord to be use for His glory!  Embrace that He made you and your children with a special purpose, not like anyone else.  (See 1 Corinthians 12).  

When I homeschooled, I would spend some time each Sunday making a master schedule of the week, then every evening I would spend some time adjusting to the “life” that happened every day to upset my best plans. The time I spent planning on Sunday afforded me the opportunity to orchestrate some order into our days as well as make a list of the things I would need that week to ensure everything could go according to those plans.  Yes, meal planning was also part of this time.  This worked well because I could go through my days with direction, and things ran smoother.  It also made the kids calm and happy because they knew what was expected of them and what was supposed to happen and at what time.  This time stuck at home is difficult for everyone.  Kids miss their friends, their routines and their teachers.  Parents are left having to manage heavy workloads from school, home and work!  With the quarantine there seems to be little relief from this and we can’t even be around other people!  When it gets to be overwhelming, our family likes to go for a walk, explore the woods or ride dirt bikes.  Lindsey Euton goes on YouTube for the girls to watch the different “Brain Breaks” videos.  I liked the Brain Breaks Just Dance videos!  It is also helpful to serve others.  Call people and check in on them, see if they need anything.  Pray with each other. 

Remember, everyone needs a lot of mercy during this time.  Our family is a “normal” family with “normal” kids.  One of my homeschool mentors once told me something that I found very freeing, she said, “Somedays, if the only thing I get done is sitting down with the kids and reading the Bible with them, I have been successful.”  She’s right, we are here for one reason, and one reason only.  To bring glory to God our Father.  So, if the only thing you happen to accomplish some days is pointing your child to Christ, you are winning!  “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when your rise.” Deuteronomy 6:7. There are many precious moments in these times that we are crammed together in the house!  My daughter, Grace is home from college and she taught us a new game for the big kids called Catan!  It was great to hang out with the kids playing and laughing at each other.  I was able to sit with my son, Jake and listen to the new songs he learned on the guitar.  Sophie is learning every dance ever made and showing me each one!  These are important things to them.  They will remember that you took the time to care.  The little guys are probably watching more videos than they should be right now, but I have had the opportunity to pour into them some of God’s truth about who they are in the Lord also.  Give yourself a break!  You need mercy too!  This is a difficult time of not knowing what lies ahead.  I have often prayed for some “downtime”, where I don’t have to run around and do all of the things that I have to do.  I know many of you have desired that as well.  Now we have it!  Some time to do all of the things that we never have had time for in the past.  My good friend, Esther Huse had this advice, “First, remember children are a heritage from the Lord Psalm 127:3, so being a gift from God it doesn’t get much better than that.  Just be patient and remember this too will pass.”  She is right!  Soon, this quarantine will be a distant memory as we engage in our normal hustle. 

All I can say is, many of us have experienced the loss of someone that we love deeply.  I remember that when my brother died, the only thing that mattered was whether or not he was Saved.  Did he know the Lord, repent and accept Jesus to be his Lord and Savior?  We are here to glorify the Lord.  That’s what matters.  Not whether or not we raise a brood of baby geniuses!  Yes, be diligent! “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” Colossians 3:23.  For the Lord, not for men!  I pray that we will make precious memories, enjoy this gift of calm from the Lord and give each other a ton of mercy. 

There are very few things in life that genuinely touch my heart like seeing a daddy dancing with his daughter!! The first time as a small girl, then fast forward to the grand finale on her wedding day!! (Aaaawwww!!!!!)

When our family moved here to Wentzville in January of 2008, the first thing my husband asked me to do was sign him up to take Grace (then 6 years old) to the city dance! The next year, Sophie was old enough to join them. Since then, it has always been a sweet occasion to let our little princesses get all dolled up to go dancing with their daddy!! He recognizes how important that relationship is and the necessity to be a godly example in their lives. I thank God for that! Every day we should model our lives after Christ, but it is a very special thing when a father shows his daughter how a man after God’s own heart should love and respect her. She then learns what to expect from a future suitor!

For a few years, we continued the tradition of the attending the city dance, but something was missing. Ed said, “You need to do this at church! You should offer a dance that focuses on Christ and use it as a way to draw people to the Lord!! Use it as an outreach!” At that time, I was part of the Koinonia Ministry Team, and it seemed like a perfect way for the homeschool ministry to reach out to our community!!

This dance is absolutely about loving God and loving people!! It is a vehicle intended to draw folks who wouldn’t otherwise come to church and welcome them in!! Please invite and encourage others to come!! This is not an event for homeschoolers only!! The goal here is to invite people from our community to hear about the love of Christ!! We use the dance as a means to that end. 1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

The evening goes like this:

Dads arrive with their daughters all dressed up and beautiful!! They check in and then head to the Fellowship Hall. There they take a formal picture, and enjoy a little fellowship before dinner. When mostly everyone has arrived, the men pray and everyone eats together!! After dinner, the DJ invites everyone to the sanctuary where there will be a time of devotion. At that time, a male speaker (who is a little further ahead in his parenting walk than the dads that are attendees) speak about the importance of a relationship with Jesus, being a Godly father, and raising their children in the Lord. Topics also touch on the importance of the father/daughter relationship and how to model the way a godly man should treat her. Past speakers include: Larry Knox, Prentice Robertson, and Mark Scott. We have been blessed by their wisdom, encouragement, and love of God!! At the same time, and without their knowledge, the moms are feverishly transforming the Fellowship Hall from Dining Hall to Ballroom!! When the devotion has ended, they direct everyone back to the Fellowship Hall for dessert, photo booth fun, and dancing!! Psalm 150:4 reminds us to “Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with flute and strings!” Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there is a, “time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance!” And so…they dance! It is a wonderful evening! All year long, girls and dads come up to me and tell me of the great time they had together and how they can’t wait until next year’s dance! Moms tell me of their girls coming home and gushing over dancing with their daddy!! They also go home and talk about the topic of the devotion and how to be more intentional in raising children who love the Lord!!

We typically fill the Fellowship Hall to capacity!! It would be awesome to run the dance two nights in a row with a good mix of believers and new people! So, next February, when you see ads for the dance in your bulletin, tell everyone you know!! This year marks the 9^th year that Ed took our girls to a dance—the girls are 15 and 11 years old!! I cannot tell you how precious their memories of these dances are! The dance entertained a good mix of the really young and teens alike—it was so special to watch those “big” girls dance with their daddy! Honestly though, I don’t know if more tears were shed by the girls or the dads themselves!! Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence and his children have a refuge.”