Rainbow Vision
This post is part of a series by Melissa Barnes titled, “Sitting at My Savior’s Feet…A Short Devotional for Homeschool Moms.”
Almost thirteen years ago, my husband’s aunt lost her battle with lung cancer. She died in a fourth-floor hospital room. Two floors above in the same hospital at the exact moment of her death, her daughter-in-law was in labor giving birth to her first granddaughter. The baby was born a couple of hours after her grandmother passed away.
Rarely in our human lives do we witness such an intersection of joy and grief. Life is full of these moments, but they seldom overlap in such a vivid way.
Last week a sister-in-Christ at my church celebrated the first birthday of her twin boys, one of whom opened gifts and ate cake in her home while the other celebrated with Jesus in heaven. I would never pretend to know what that day felt like for my friend. As I prayed for her that day, however, I thought of those surreal moments when we look outside our window and see rain pouring down while the sun shines brightly. Such a contradiction!
Or is it?
When we witness those “rain while the sun shines” moments, the first thing most of us do is look for the rainbow. Rainbows usually surprise us, but on those rare days, we anticipate them and search the rain-drenched, sunny sky for that beautiful miracle. We expect them because we understand our Creator, we claim His promise, and we comprehend what is necessary to create a rainbow.
This is no accident. Romans 1:20 tells us that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (NIV’84). God reveals Himself to us through His creation.
Those unique moments when we witness the blending of joy and tragedy or rain and sunshine give us a brief but powerful glimpse into the view God has all the time. One of the great mysteries of the nature of our Creator is that He transcends time. First Peter 3:8 tells us that “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (NIV’84). When He looks down on our lives, He sees it all. We live in the moment, but God’s perspective is eternal. He doesn’t just see the rain or the sunshine in isolation; he sees them intermingled with the rainbow they produce.
Occasionally, God allows us to see with His rainbow vision. When that occurs, we can peer eagerly into the sky for a glimpse of the rainbow we have grown to expect when rain and sun intersect. The rest of the time, He calls us to trust that even if we can only see the rain for now, the rainbow will come in His perfect time.
Ask God to help you trust Him through the joy and grief in your life. Thank Him when He blesses you with the revelation of His character through nature and through everyday life. Praise Him for His faithfulness in all circumstances.
mbarnes @ November 29, 2011 | Homeschool Encouragement | Comments (0)
Special-Needs Services and Homeschoolers
This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!
Q. Is my homeschooler eligible for speech therapy through a public school?
A. Although school districts are not obligated to provide special-needs services for homeschooled children, some districts may offer services to homeschool students on a first-come, first-served basis if funds are available. Speech therapy is the most often provided service, but you would need to contact your local school district to see what is available.
Regards,
Yvonne Bunn @ November 23, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)
Thankful for Disappointment
This post is part of a series by Melissa Barnes titled, “Sitting at My Savior’s Feet…A Short Devotional for Homeschool Moms.”
Do your kids ever disappoint you? Not just a little bit like an unmade bed or a forgotten jacket or even an undeserved push to a younger sibling. I mean really disappoint you…maybe even embarrass you? Recently I was humbled to share moments with two fellow homeschool moms whose kids let them down in pretty big ways. Both were meek and honest. Both were hurt and unsure about what to do to help their children. Both shed tears, and both sought answers to the character issues their kids displayed.
These women modeled true Christ-like humility to me—no pride, no excuses, no defensiveness—just love for their children and a desire to help them. I realized that this what God feels for me—everyday—when I fail him in little ways and when I exhibit the darker character flaws that always lurk beneath the surface. His heart breaks for me, and He wants to help me. He loves me despite the disappointment.
How often in our homeschool circles do we fail to follow Christ’s model? How often do we let pride, defensiveness, and embarrassment for our kids’ shortcomings cause us to overreact or under-react? How often do we judge one another’s parenting “failures” instead of rallying to support our sisters and brothers in Christ?
Perhaps we simply need to shift our perspective to one of gratitude. When our kids disappoint us, we have a rare opportunity to see directly into their souls, the parts of them that wage war over who controls their life—Jesus or self. It is an opportunity to come alongside Christ in the sanctification process, to know how to pray specifically for our children, to discipline our children in love, and to model Christ’s unconditional love in their lives.
Society tells us we fail when our kids fail, that we should be ashamed or embarrassed, but as believers we should know better. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV’84). That’s you and me. That’s your kid and my kid. Anyone who thinks otherwise has forgotten two critical truths about every single human being who walks this earth: we are all sinners, and we are all created in the image of the God of the universe and loved deeply by Him. Nothing we do or say can change either of those truths. Because we are sinners, we all stumble, and we are all unworthy. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’” (Romans 3:10, NIV’84). Because we are created in God’s image and are loved by Him, we are valued despite our shortcomings. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV’84). How do we reconcile these things? The only way we can: the grace of Jesus Christ.
This week, when your kids disappoint you or you witness someone else’s child fall, resist the natural responses: judgment, shame, pride, embarrassment, anger. Instead, respond with gratitude, not only for the opportunity to help a child along the road to sanctification but also for the opportunity to exhibit the grace, humility, and unconditional love Christ modeled for you.
mbarnes @ November 23, 2011 | Homeschool Encouragement | Comments (2)
Homeschool Day at Mount Vernon
More than 1800 guests attended the HEAV-sponsored homeschool day at Mount Vernon! Visitors toured George Washington’s plantation home, watched costumed interpreters create handmade articles, played period children’s games, and placed flowers on Washington’s tomb to honor the life of our first president.
We hope you enjoy these photos commemorating this HEAV-sponsored event! Be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts if you attended! As always, thank you for your support of HEAV.
Blog @ November 18, 2011 | Events | Comments (0)
Withdrawing a Child from Public School
This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!
Q. I’m ready to mail my Notice of Intent. What should I do to withdraw my child from public school?
A. First, you should mail your Notice of Intent to your superintendent from the post office by “return/receipt.” By mailing it this way, you will receive a signed receipt showing the date the superintendent’s office received your Notice of Intent.
Afterward you may go to the school office to withdraw your child. It is not necessary to wait for a response letter from the superintendent before withdrawing your child or beginning to homeschool. You are not asking the superintendent for permission, you are only notifying him that you have complied with the homeschool law.
The school may require you to sign a release form. You may also want to ask for a copy of your child’s records. Under Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, a parent has the right to have a copy of this information. It may help you know what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are and may give you an idea where to begin. That should be all!
Regards,
P.S. You may also find this information on beginning after the August 15 deadline helpful.
Yvonne Bunn @ November 18, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)
Sitting at My Savior’s Feet…A Short Devotional for Homeschool Moms
In this new weekly feature, Melissa Barnes, writer and homeschool mom, will share reflections on how God speaks to her in the midst of a busy homeschool family. Her life consists of the “ordinary” cycle of teaching, managing a home, and parenting, yet she desires to intentionally seek God’s voice in her day-to-day life. It is our hope that by sharing her reflections, she will inspire you to listen for God in your own “ordinary” days.
Too Busy Not to Reflect
My three-year-old daughter discovered her shadow tonight. Our church hosted a Harvest Hoedown, and as she danced to the music outside, the light reflected her shadow against the side of the building. It mesmerized her. Her dad stood observing her then joined in, making his shadow do all sorts of silly movements. I watched them from afar, content to stand still and observe this mini-milestone. Later I thought about how the simplest things in life are often the most meaningful. I know in my core that God reveals Himself in these simple, everyday moments, yet I rarely pause to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary.
I don’t know about you, but there are not enough hours in my days. I could work for twenty-four hours straight and never “finish.” Laundry to wash…Dishes to scrub…Papers to grade…Rooms to clean…Lessons to plan…Places to drive. The tasks multiply like the fruit flies that invaded my kitchen last spring. Just when I think I have tackled the last of them, a new batch appears. Add to that the myriad of relationships that need sustaining in my life, and I just want to sit down and cry. In fact, sometimes I do!
Who has time to stop and make shadow figures on the wall or notice a flock of birds heading south for winter? Who can pause long enough to watch a spider craft her egg sac or a child build his first block tower? How often do we take the opportunity to reflect on each day that passes, looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary…better yet, looking for the divine in the mundane?
The real question is, “Who can afford not to?”
Several years ago I read a book by Bill Hybels called Too Busy Not to Pray. It struck a chord with me at the time and still does, seven years and two kids later, as the demands of my life and my need for prayer have grown exponentially. Soon after reading that book, I read The Cross and the Switchblade. David Wilkerson described how he prayed for hours each day, staying up late into the night. It humbled me at the time as I threw my short prayers at God between loads of laundry. I am convinced of the need for constant prayer in my life, but lately, I have become convinced of the need for reflection, too. I need to pause long enough to reflect on my day and where God met me in it. How did He speak to me? What did He say? How did I respond?
In 1 Kings 19:11, the Lord told Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by” (NIV). Elijah obeyed and “then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1Kings 19:11-13)
God is omnipresent, and He reveals himself to His people in a myriad of ways. We just don’t pause long enough to see and hear Him. We are unlikely to hear his voice boom at us over the loudspeakers at Wal-Mart or see His words for us scrawled across the billboards we fly past on the interstate. Instead, we will hear Him in the quiet and stillness. We will see him in the unexpected…in the shadows on the wall, in the loving touch of a friend, in the innocent words of our children, and yes, even in the fruit flies. We need only to pause long enough to look and to listen.
In recent months God has impressed upon me the lack of reflection in my day-to-day life. I rarely stop to think about where God has met me in my crazy days. I just keep moving from one task to the next, and though I may notice His work in my life, I am not deliberate about looking for the lessons and seeking to hear His still, small voice as it speaks to me in the mundane happenings of my everyday life.
I plan to embark on a journey to hear God in the everyday minutiae of my crazy, overloaded life. To slow down long enough to catch His messages to me. To reflect on who He is. To hide in His presence. I can’t afford not to. Will you join me?
Listen for God’s still, small voice in your life this week. What is He saying? Who or what is He using to speak to you? How can you be an instrument for Him to speak into others’ lives?
mbarnes @ November 16, 2011 | Homeschool Encouragement | Comments (1)
Religious Exemption and Driver Ed Correction
This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!
Note: This Q&A is a follow-on post to the “Religious Exemption and Driver’s License” Q&A published last week.
Q. I’m a little confused and think some details may be missing from last week’s question about religious exemption and driver’s education. If we use a private company to teach driver’s education or the in-car portion, then I don’t see where proof is required.
A. You are absolutely correct! If a parent wants to get approval from DMV to provide driver instruction, they must show proof of a homeschool education or a religious exemption, but proof is not required if they use other methods of driver instruction.
I contacted Vanessa C. Wigand, principal specialist for health education, physical education, driver education, and athletics with the Virginia Department of Education. She confirmed that proof of compliance with the homeschool laws from a superintendent or a religious exemption acknowledgment letter from a school board are necessary only for a parent who plans to teach his or her own teen classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education.
However, a parent who elects to enroll his homeschool student in a private driver education company–either a parent who has complied with the homeschool law or a parent who is religiously exempt–is not required to complete the same forms for the DMV. A religiously exempt homeschooler is not required to show the private driver education company a letter from the school board acknowledging his religious exemption.
Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I apologize for the confusion. I hope this clarifies driver education opportunities for parents who are homeschooling under religious exemption.
Yvonne Bunn @ November 10, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (1)
Religious Exemption and Driver’s Licenses
This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!
Q. We are homeschooling for religious reasons, and my teen wants to get a driver’s license. The DMV says I need a letter. What can I do?
A. The Virginia Code requires that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have evidence a teen is receiving an education in order to issue a driver’s license. For homeschoolers, there are three documents that are usually accepted by the DMV as proof of home education: 1) a copy of a Notice of Intent form that has been submitted, 2) a superintendent’s response letter to a Notice of Intent form, or 3) a response letter from the school board acknowledging a student’s religious exemption.
If you do not have a letter from your school board acknowledging your religious exemption, you could write a letter stating your compliance with the religious exemption statute §22.1-254 (B)(1) and take it to the DMV. In this case, a notarized signature on your letter may be helpful. Some DMV representatives may accept a personal statement from you; others may not.
A second option would be to file a religious exemption letter with your school board. You can do this at any time–there is no deadline for sending a religious exemption letter to the school board. Although this may take a little longer, you would have a letter to present to the DMV.
If you do not supply acceptable proof that your student is being educated, he or she must wait until age 19 to apply for a Virginia driver’s license.
Yvonne Bunn @ November 2, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)