What would you say if I told you that your life was perfect? You’d probably say something like: “You don’t know my life.” I know, I know. That’s what I’d probably say, too. But really, think about it. Where does this knee-jerk response come from? What ideas undergird our common denial? Let’s do a thought experiment and examine our presuppositions together. I’ll go first…
Your Life is Perfect Read More »
by Missy Andrews Some of us love poetry all our lives. Others write it all of theirs. Edward Estling Cummings
Gateway Stories to the Classics: “enormous SMALLNESS” Read More »
Those who visit the Andrews’ family library may find themselves somewhat disappointed. Few first-edition, signed copies of the great works of the Western canon grace our shelves. Though our bookshelves burgeon with classics, our books bespeak a different kind of collection. Many were gathered painstakingly by treasure hunting at used bookstores, thrift stores, and garage sales. Some were gifts from friends and family. Others were acquired through liquidation sales at public libraries. Tattered and torn, the Andrews Library houses books our family has discovered, shared, read, and re-read through the changing years and seasons of our lives…
Books Without Covers: Stories My Kids Loved to Pieces Read More »
When I was engaged in my homeschooling efforts, I thought I had that wholeheartedness part down. I pushed and strove and worked diligently. But whether I did this “as to the Lord and not to please men,” well, that varied from day to day, from moment to moment. And in those moments when the fear of man drove me, the homeschooling project became a snare, an idol that threatened to devour me and my children…
Finding Energy for the Work of Education Read More »
It’s back-to-school time and emotions are running high. I can almost hear the air crackling with energy. Some of us are excited at the thought of another year of books and bouquets of sharpened pencils. Crisp fall days, sharp minds, early mornings, and familiar routines beckon and promise order, productivity, and progress. Others will admit to being a bit anxious, filled with a nagging fear that this year might look just like last year – a failure, that is…
The Gospel for Homeschool Parents and Teachers Read More »
I’m thinking about you homeschool moms this week and remembering my own years in the trenches with my kiddos. So, I dug out some old journals from my 25 years of homeschooling to remember what filled my thoughts and heart in those Septembers past…
A Prayer for Moms on the Cusp of a New Homeschool Year Read More »
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this past year of homeschooling was pretty mediocre. Even for long-time homeschoolers like our family, this pandemic has brought about some challenges and pulled more than a few weaknesses into the light! In fact, one of the only subjects that I can confidently say we’ve tackled with any measure of success is literature study. And, for my 8yo this year, lit study meant reading Anne of Green Gables…
Anne of Green Gables and the Case for Challenging Books Read More »
From the moment we are old enough to be self-aware, we are on a quest to discover who we are. This search for identity is complicated by the many, disparate voices around us, but what they all have in common is a fundamental presupposition that identity is created – that we, as human beings, make ourselves. Aristotle gets credit for saying something of this sort initially. He said that we are what we do continually, which I think explains a lot of the psychological angst associated with our self-concepts…
Homeschooling and Identity Read More »
As I sat rubbing sleep from my eyes this morning, wondering what new coronavirus mandates might come to disrupt our routines today, I found myself on social media. The comments and videos that most affected me were those from you moms who recently discovered that you were homeschooling by government mandate. You look tired, bewildered, and overwhelmed. You look like beginning swimmers who have been thrown in the deep end of the swimming pool – with your infants, toddlers, and teens in tow. My heart goes out to you…
An Open Letter to the New COVID-19 Homeschooler Read More »
Do you ever feel guilty at Thanksgiving because you’re not thankful enough? Do you ever evaluate your degree of thankfulness and find yourself wanting? Does it sometimes seem like thankfulness is a duty, just one more thing that is expected of you that you are failing to perform adequately Me, too, all the time….
Thanksgiving is Not a Duty Read More »
