Homeschooling: Why do I do it?

I have had a lot of people approaching me lately about homeschooling. I see fear and panic in the eyes of some of these people or I read it in their emails. I know that a lot of people are fearful but this verse is so perfect:
Hebrews 13:1-8, "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

I am not perfect. Sometimes people ask me about homeschooling and I don't even know where to begin. Recently, I talked with someone who did not really want to hear the bad and the ugly with homeschooling, she only wanted the good. I don't think her homeschool is going to be very successful. Not just for the reason I listed above. There are many other reasons. I just committed to pray for her and encourage her wherever I can. As I spoke with her I found myself really talking about my failures in homeschooling. I really could not figure out why, as I told her about being a month behind. About yelling at my kids and fighting with them. Then later it hit me. She does not need the rosy picture right now, she needs the reality. I think that's why God spoke those words through me.

I thought I would take some time over the next few days to share about our homeschooling journey. I know that I have not arrived. I still learn something new everyday. I pray that my words will be full of wisdom, seasoned with grace. That you will be able to take something away from here. I am happy to share whatever I have learned at the feet of others.

Today I thought I would share a little about why we homeschool. How we started.

It was something I'd wanted to do for awhile. When I first started dating Dh, I told him, I wanted lots of kids and I wanted to homeschool them. I figured, hey, why not just get it out in the open. Some guys I'd dated were not ready for that so I cut the time with them short. I was dating to find a husband not just for fun.

When we were unable to have children, for whatever reason, we decided to be foster parents. As foster parents we were soon the parents of quiet a few children. Some of whom we would be able to adopt. I started that day planning my homeschooling. LOL

I started with the book The Well Trained Mind. Oh, the wisdom I gleaned from that book was amazing. I knew that's what I wanted to do whole hog. I planned and prepared for the day I would get to adopt. I knew I would have to suffer through a few months of school for my oldest daughter and my middle daughter. I dreaded it, but the state still owned my children.

Karly was in the second grade. Kelsie starting Kindergarten. Those were the worst 9 months for me. Kelsie went from a sweet, fairly obedient child to a manipulative mean, sneaky little girl. Karly came home with horrible tales of some of the kids in her class I found through a phone call months later from her teacher that she was the instigator of most of those things....

To be continued.