I recently added a new category to my blog, titled "Lecture Notes". I am now attending conferences and seminars regarding homeschool and need a place to store my notes. This blog seems as good a place as any and you can read what might be of interest as well!
I attended the Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington conference. Not only is it an excellent resource for homeschool, but there is also the incredible message of creating a Christian heritage within your family for generations.
They had two keynote speakers. The first speaker was Dr. Voddie Baucham, Jr. I am forever changed by the message this pastor shared during this conference. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, RUN, don’t walk.
Here are the notes from the General Session #1, titled "Get Your House in Order-Transforming the Family":
(Deuteronomy 6
Love the LORD Your God
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said.
20 In the future, when your children ask you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" 21 tell them: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." )
Statistics
- 75-88% college freshmen through college are turning away from the evangelical faith they grew up with.
- It takes two Christian families to create one Christian believer
- It takes four families to create one Christian couple
- 95% of homeschooled Christian children maintain their faith
- 70% of 4th graders do not read proficiently. How is this an issue? It is in 4th grade that the school system stops focus on reading as a part of their classroom curriculum.
Biblical love is an act of the will accompanied by emotion(not lead by or void of it) and it leads to action on behalf of its object.
We are emotional about the things that we care about. If husbands do not act emotional towards their spouse or children, it’s the same as saying you don’t care about them.
Discipling your children at home (all the time), not just non-school hours. Whoever educates our children is discipling them.
Luke 6:40 "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher."
Beware of the myth that you cannot teach high school courses to your children.
If you engage the senses, you will engage the memory. What will our children remember about their childhood? How can you create a home environment that engages all the senses?
(Leigh’s notes:
-smell: Traditional dishes, like Sunday supper? candles?
-visual:-art work?-presence of scripture?
-sound: -music?)
The average income American is wealthier than 75% of the rest of the world. We tend to depend on things rather than God. Why do we not welcome more kids into our homes? Because we can’t "afford" it? Other countries consider themselves blessed with children. Yet, we have larger houses and vehicles and smaller families.
The most important thing your parents gave you was their time. Don’t buy the lie that you can have it all. You can’t.
Invest in our life and our children first. Say, "after the opportunity to raise our children is gone, then we will explore the option of…"
Be present and involved during this crucial time.
- worship God without idols
- build a foundation on Biblical law
- disciple your children at home
- make your home as God’s territory (engage the senses)
Don’t use the excuse that just because you were not raised in a Christian household, you can’t create a Christian heritage for your current family and generations to come.
- Break the pattern of worldly belief and lifestyle (it ends here, now)
- Find Christian models and mentors and latch on to them.
God’s word is sufficient for my life, my family, and generations to come.
Thank you for being such a faithful reader and commentor (or/er ??) on my blog!! I always smile when I come and visit your blog because I love seeing the way you post pictures of your boys school days!!
Thanks for the notes/devotional type read – that was very eye opening, something that we all need to read…I was glad to see the %95 of homeschoolers kept their faith!!
~christa~
We also live in WA… a lot of people from my church went to that conference… sounded great. wish i could have gone! Maybe next year!
I love reading your notes! You are such a blessing! Thanks for stopping by yesterday, you brightened my day 🙂 By the way, J slept 11 hours last night! Praise the Lord!
Leigh,
I've been meaning to stop by here for the longest time! I'm going through your lecture notes! 🙂 I really, really enjoyed Voddie too. I purchased all the CD's/DVD's of his they had there and my husband has really enjoyed his messages too.
I love stats & remember all of those you quoted! You sure were thorough with your notes! 🙂
Love, Alyssa