Chilson Family

As summer is quickly coming to a close, it has brought a new season to my life.  I have been a full-time home educating mom for the last 16 years with three years of home education several years before that.  As of today, my home educating hat is put on the rack.  There may be a time in the future it is needed, but for now it is on the rack.  Today, our last six scholars went off to school with Hubby.  Today is the first day of school at the Christian school where Hubby is teaching full-time.  This is the first time they will be schooling where home is not the classroom for academics.  (it remains the classroom for many other things!) This day brings mixed emotions.  We knew there would be a day when Hubby stepped back into full-time Christian education.  I have prepared myself for this.  I already shed many silent tears before this day.  But I know that a door of opportunity of serving is just ahead.  God ha...

Today marks the last day of summer vacation!  Sunday is  the official start of our week with worshipping in the Lord's house and Monday is the official first day of our 2013-2014 academic school year.  As much as I am ready, I feel so unprepared.  But I know the Lord has called our family to home educate and through His strength we can do it. Even though we still have at least a month of summer left, starting school always seems like the beginning of the autumn season.  I believe we are the last of the families in our neighborhood to return to school, but have some home educating friends who still have a week of summer vacation left.  So, unofficially, GOOD BYE SUMMER, HELLO AUTUMN!

Friday and Saturday was the 2013 Indiana Home Educators' Convention.  Hubby and I have been home educating and discipling  our nesters for a total of 16 years.  This is the first convention that we have ever attended.  It was wonderful!  It was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, not far from our home. We went with some very good friends of ours while our nesters babysat their four little ones. A few highlights of the convention: It was wonderful to see some of the political leaders of Indiana come and speak at the convention.  What a blessing to know that there are political leaders that recognize that educating children belongs to the parents and are willing to stand in the gap and help us keep this right.  Not to mention a friend of ours, Eric Miller from Advance America  who informs and educates the people of Indiana about our state government and issues that are important to us.  I was able to meet four ...

I am excited to announce Indiana Governor Mike Pence has proclaimed May 26, 2013 to June 1, 2013 Indiana Home Education Week !  (check it our here!) Way to go Governor Pence!

I am thankful that I have the freedom to home educate my children.  Home education seems to have become popular in the last several years.  But it has not always been that way.  {But that is a topic for another day.} I must say that when someone first suggested that I think about home education I said, "There is no way that I could do that."  I did not think I was "smart" enough and I had not really had heard  much about schooling at home.  We sent our two oldest to a K-5 program at a local Christian school.  It was for about 3 hours a day, they studied the three "R's", and was only about $100 a month for both.  Then the Lord began to convict me.  I was willing to let Him to determine the size of my family, we had five children at the time, but I wasn't trusting Him fully in every area of my life.  I went back to my friend and talked more about schooling at home.  She was the greatest resource and my biggest cheerleade...