Life as a Lifeschooler Danielle Papageorgiou

Have you ever felt sick and miserable, but still had to push through a homeschool day? What about every single day? Tricia Soderstrom (AboundingInHopeWithLyme.com) shared with me how she and her children survived homeschooling for many years with chronic illness (Lyme disease). Once again, we talk about the faith element in homeschooling and how when we obey His call, He provides all we need!



This episode sponsored by Smash Maths

SMASH Maths provides 2 online math Practices every week for children.

Each Practice contains at least 10 bespoke questions, so that means 20+ questions a week. The program is available for pupils in Kindergarten to Grade 6. The cost is $7.50 per month.

Use CODE: FELICE to receive your discount. Visit SMASHMATHS.org/homeschooling 

Find out more here: https://www.smashmaths.org/home-schooling/

Tricia lives in the beautiful state of Maryland with her husband and children. She’s been married to Scott for 28 years and together they have four children who are now 23, 20, 17 and 10. Their two oldest have graduated from their homeschool and they will graduate another one this year.

Tricia decided to start a blog after much prodding and nagging, or rather encouraging from family, friends and even from people she met along the way who insisted she share her story and experience living with chronic tick-borne diseases. So in January 2015, she began Abounding in Hope with Lyme where she shares her journey with Lyme, homeschooling and her deep faith in God.

Her whole family was diagnosed with Lyme disease, Bartonella, and Babesia and a host of other things. You can read more details in My Story on her site. The purpose of her blog is to share her experience with Lyme disease in the hopes that it will be encouraging and informative. Lyme disease can be a devastating disease and Tricia’s hope is that the information on her site will help you to be educated so that you can protect yourself and your family or get the help you need. (Bio taken from https://aboundinginhopewithlyme.com/about/.)

On this episode, I ask Tricia the following questions:





For those of my listeners who don’t know, we have a personal knowledge of Lyme disease ourselves, as my husband has suffered with it (to varying degrees) for the past 18 years. Tell us your story and were you already homeschooling when you became sick with this chronic illness?

Were you ever tempted to quit homeschooling?

What are some of the considerations for those who may be dealing with chronic illness, but want to homeschool?

One thing I read in one of your aticles on deciding to homeschool was, “You can homeschool when you’re sick but make sure your children are being nourished in every area of their lives, not just educational book work.” This is so true and is what lifeschooling is about! What does that look like in your family?

How has Lyme shaped and influenced your educational philosophy?

To remind our listeners, the definition of lifeschooling is “the individualized process of discovering your child’s God-given gifts and talents through real life experiences that happen within the context of your family’s unique situations and missions.” Is there a part of that definition that particularly speaks to you and how does your family lifeschool?

What are some of the gifts that you saw early on in your children and how ...

Danielle Papageorgiou and Christi Deason discuss the homeschooling philosophy of lifeschooling and share some real life experiences of what that has looked like in their individual families.

Lifeschooling

Lifeschooling is the individualized process of discovering your child's God-given gifts and talents, primarily through real life experiences that happen in the context of your family's unique situations and missions.

It is about freedom.

Faith is an integral part of homeschooling, but many of us struggle with fear and search for "security blankets" in the curriculum we choose and the way we homeschool. We struggle with allowing God to lead our homeschools and trusting the process. As all homeschoolers, Christi and I both faced this battle in our own ways. And I still face it as I continue on this homeschooling journey!



But Christi, having successfully graduated two children, has already accomplished the task and has much wisdom to share about her experience. "I just knew that the Lord was saying to me, 'You're not going to know the outcome if you put them in school, either," she says, "Leave it with me and let me with my sovereignty control the outcome.' Once I really realized that, it was very freeing and it became exciting at that point." Today, Christi's son works as a successful engineer, and her daughter, while she is currently focused on her role as wife and mother, is working towards opening her own martial arts studio in the future.

Lifeschooling and Community

Over the years, Christi has seen plenty of changes within the homeschooling community. While the early pioneers had to create their own curriculum and use the resources and experiences at hand, as homeschooling evolved, curriculum companies saw an opportunity to market to homeschoolers. While we are blessed today to have more options and resources than ever, there were some pitfalls that came with the options. Christi talks about how she watched the homeschooling community go from a "creative community to a consumer community," becoming more and more reliant on boxed curriculum and trusting in someone else's packaged plan for their unique children, rather than the Lord's individualized plan.



Lifeschooling is about getting back to the roots of homeschooling. It is about the "ancient paths." What should a real education look like? What is most effective for your own child? We believe lifeschooling, with its focus on relationships and finding our children's unique gifts, is the answer.



To learn more about lifeschooling, visit www.LifeschoolingConference.com.











Thanks to our sponsor, Harper Collins Christian, and the Kingdom Girl’s Bible



Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible. This is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. With over 400 engaging features, colorful illustrations, and helpful notes, this Bible is perfect for girls ages 8 to 12 as they learn about the strong and faithful women who came before them. Visit the website for more information.

It’s easy to slip into the thinking that if we just homeschool, all will turn out fine. Our children will grow up to love God; they will be well-educated and spiritually mature, always following the Lord and living godly lives.



Wrong.



A quick search of the internet will prove this is simply not the case. I loved the blog post Israel Wayne posted not too long ago addressing the current trend of homeschoolers who are rejecting their parents’ faith and basically dishonoring them.



(Can I just say that I literally laughed out loud when I read this line: “I just want to say to everyone who wishes that I was writing blogs about how badly my life sucks lollipops…I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you by having a happy and satisfied life.”).



And then, of course, there’s the story of Josh Harris, who grew up a zealot of homeschooling, courtship, and so many good things, only to recently divorce his wife and leave his faith, rejecting all he supposedly once held important. What a sad time for his parents.



Oh, dear homeschoolers. Once again, we have to be reminded that life is not about a checklist. We so easily forget, don’t we? There are no secret formulas, no magic bullets. You can’t manufacture a genuine relationship. There is no amount of work you can invest that will guarantee your children will turn out fine.



Homeschooling is great. I personally think it’s the obvious best option for educating and investing time into one’s children to build strong relationships. But it’s not the secret formula and relying on that alone will only bring frustration and disappointment.



But fret not. God doesn’t want us to just throw up our hands and sing Que Sera, Sera. We can look to Scripture and look to godly examples around us to learn some ideas for helping our children grow into spiritually mature adults who love God. We cannot force them to love the Lord, but we can entice them towards a deep relationship by showing them how precious it is!



Here are some ideas:



 



1. Make your relationship with the Lord your top priority.



How can you expect your children to love God if you don’t love Him with all of your heart? The very best thing you can do is lead by example. Spend time with Him daily and share what He is teaching you. When your children see that God is a priority and when they hear you speak about Him, they will be drawn towards Him.



I could probably end this entire blog post with this first point because it is just that important and impactful! But I won’t… ;)



 



2. Start early encouraging your children to spend time with the Lord daily.



We have always made daily devotions a part of our children’s required “daily chores.” That might sound terrible, but the Bible does talk about “disciplining ourselves unto godliness.” Part of the Christian walk is self-discipline and if we want them to truly love God, then we must teach our children to be self-disciplined early. They need to learn how to “own” their faith.



When they were young, they read this Learn to Read Bible, among other Bible story books. They also enjoyed these a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736903623/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?

Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood



In theaters March 20-21! Noah’s Flood is preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Recent discoveries confirm what the Bible has said all along. Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present: The Ark and the Darkness.



Missions,Movies,  and  Lifeschooling



On this episode of Life as a Lifeschooler, Danielle wraps up her interview with David Cook, a former MK who was homeschooled and now works in the Christian film industry.

David grew up on the mission field in Spain. A homeschool graduate, in 2001 he started working in media, both radio and television in Spain. In 2009 God placed it on his heart to get involved with feature filmmaking. Moving back to the United States, David started working with Advent Film Group to start the learning process and get hands on experience on film sets. Since that point, David has worked on 18 feature films in various capacities, including The Screenwriters, Polycarp, Princess Cut, Beyond the Mask, Badge of Faith, War Room, Like Arrows, and most recently the upcoming films Overcomer and Once Upon a Time in Mongolia.  David also helps with the annual Christian Worldview Film Festival in Franklin, TN, where he enjoys sharing with others what he has learned and encouraging them to follow what God has placed on their hearts to do.

Here are some of the questions I asked David on this second part of the interview:

Tell us about your journey into the Christian film industry.

When did you start to develop an interest in Christian film and did your parents tailor the education around the development of your gifts and interest in film?

What has been the most exciting thing about being in film?

Your biggest challenge?

What was your favorite film set to work on?

I know you do a lot of traveling with your work. How many countries have you traveled to while working in film?

For those who may have children interested in getting into film, what would you suggest?

If you want to find out more about the Christian Worldview Film Festival, you can visit their site here.

And that’s Life as a Lifeschooler! Subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an episode. Hope you’ll join us next time!

 

On this very special episode of Life as a Lifeschooler, I talk about Love in Homeschooling. 

What an honor it is to recognize the work of Felice Gerwitz and 10 years in homeschool podcasting on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network!

Episode Sponsored by the 10th Birthday Celebration Sponsors, CTC Math & More on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network  out the $350 giveaway, too!



Love in Homeschooling – Exploring how love plays a central role in homeschooling

Over time, love has become a central focus of my Christian walk, as I’ve realized how impactful this one concept of loving others can be. Jesus says that all the law and the prophets are summed up in “love God, love your neighbor as yourself.” If one thing can cover so much ground, it must be essential that we understand it!



In a very basic sense, when we homeschool our children, we are loving our neighbor as ourselves. We remember what school was like for us and we want better for them. We are sacrificing our own opportunities for income, self-fulfillment, and achievement in order to see our children successful and fulfilled.

But there are times we forget this motivation. Or the motivation becomes cloudy, tainted by the pressures, fears, and worldly ambitions we allow to enter our hearts.

So it’s good to be reminded of what love really is. If we want to truly love, we must know what exactly love is. And to know exactly what love is, we must turn to the Bible’s definition in 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter.”



If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Moms, you can have the perfect homeschool curriculum and teach with eloquence and simplicity, but if you don’t have love, you will fail your kids.

You can even do it in the power of the Holy Spirit, according to this chapter, and still fail your kids! That’s how important love is to everything you do in life. In fact, love was so important to God that He sent Jesus to die for us. Love is at the very core of the Gospel!  So we need to have a full understanding of it.



For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Now, let’s look at what love is...

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Patient

Are you patient in teaching your children about 56 times in a day that 7x8 is 56? Are you patient in teaching them how to do their chores quickly and diligently? Or is your goal to check off the boxes and be done?

Kindness

Do your children see you as an example of kindness? When they talk back and disrespect you, do you respond “in kind” or with kindness (and discipline, of course)?

Does Not Envy or Boast

Pride is the opposite of love. Pride is all about self, not God and others.



If you are busy making yourself feel accomplished from the shiny, perfect children you have raised, then your homeschooling is not about love. It is about boastfulness in your own achievements. If you look at others whose kids graduated high school at age 13 and think, “That’s not so great. We could have done that if we had wanted to,” then you may have an envious heart that has no room for love.

Not Arrogant or Rude

Enjoy one of my favorite interviews on this rerun of "Self-Sacrifice in Lifeschooling - Dr. Jill Butryn."



How much self-sacrifice would you be willing to practice? Would you give up a six-figure career in medicine to be "just a mom"? My friend Dr. Jill Butryn did just that. She went from a practicing MD to a present mom. Listen to one of our most popular episodes, this inspiring interview about how the Butryn family made it work and how lifeschooling and "staying out of the way" played a key part in "letting their boys be wiggly boys."

Passionate about living and loving, Jill Butryn, MD, left a thriving medical practice to rededicate herself to faith, marriage, and family. When her verbally precocious eldest child made it very clear in no uncertain terms that being away from home all day to attend kindergarten was completely unacceptable, Jill and her reluctant husband began homeschooling and never looked back.

Bucking convention by not using a curriculum, Jill has home educated two wiggly and willful boys on a steady diet of Legos, literature, and labor, with a dash of mentoring. Committed to "staying out of the way" and allowing each child to develop at his own pace in his own way, the Butryns stress spiritual and relational development over academic achievement, where all that boy energy is channeled into meaningful activities and work projects instead of pointless busywork.

Jill believes parents ultimate responsibility is to turn out healthy adults who love and serve others, and this can only be achieved by modeling and facilitating personal growth through relationship and experience. It is an imperfect process carried out by imperfect people. Thankfully, there is grace.

Here is what I asked Jill during this episode's interview:





So, you were a family doctor before you had children. Tell us what led to such self-sacrifice: the decision to leave your practice and start homeschooling?

What was the most difficult part about leaving your practice and did you ever doubt that decision?

To remind our listeners, the definition of lifeschooling is “the individualized process of discovering your child’s God-given gifts and talents through real life experiences that happen within the context of your family’s unique situations and missions.” Is there a part of that definition that particularly speaks to you?

What are some of the gifts that you saw early on in your children and how did you tailor their education around development of those gifts?

Tell us about a typical day in your homeschool?

Now that you’ve graduated and married off one child and can look back on the entire journey, what would you say you did right, and is there anything you wish you would have done differently? Was the self-sacrifice of giving up your career worth it?

I feel like many of us, as adults, are just now learning what our passions truly are and what we were meant to do. I think lifeschooling is such a wonderful way to allow our children to find out who they really are and what gifts God has put into them when they are young. You recently started an online business that provides life coaching in several aspects. I know that came about as a result of some self-discovery of your own, so tell us a little bit about what led you to start that.

You can find out more about Dr. Jill and her services by visiting her website, www.jillbutryn.com.



And that’s Life as a Lifeschooler! Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Hope you’ll join us next time!







Thank you to our Sponsor - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Movie!



Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBO...