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What gems get you through the days, months, and years of home-educating? Share them with your fellow homeschooling moms.

I attended the funeral of a dear great-aunt this weekend. As I sat there and listened to her oldest daughter share something she had written in honor of her mother, I was reminded - yet again - of the big picture of it all. Minutes turn into hours, hours into days, days into weeks...months...and - all too quickly - years. What will stand the test of time? What eternal impact are you having on your children? What will last when you are gone?

...And now these three remain - faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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Here is a challenging article from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Greetings!

A wise woman once said, "While we're focused on building character in our children, God is focused on building character in us."

Maybe it's perseverance - we can't give up on them. Maybe it's patience - no one guarantees immediate results. Maybe it's humility - lest any man should boast! Maybe it's contentment - learning not to envy that mom down the street whose kids seem to have it all together. Maybe it's dependability - truly showing our children that we'll stick with them even when their behavior breaks our hearts. Maybe it's dying to self - doing what needs to be done, even when we don't want to. Like oh say. . . playing a board game with your kids when you'd rather read a book by yourself. (Ouch stepping on my OWN toes now.)

And maybe it's for God to continue to grow our faith in Him, to truly remind us to walk by faith and not by sight. When we see what God can do in our children's lives in spite of all of our mistakes and shortcomings (both parents and children), we are reminded that truly it IS all about Him. It's not always easy, but it is about Him.

I had the pleasure of hearing Mark Hamby of Lamplighter Publishing speak recently. I was truly touched as he spoke about the importance of our relationships with our children. Here's a great article that he wrote for TOS a few years ago and here's where you can order his presentations on building a stronger family and character in your children.

THM Editor

Media and The Home: When Being Beautiful Turns Ugly

Parents today are concerned about media influences on their kids, and with good cause. Suicide is the second-highest cause of death among teenagers in the US—after car accidents. Why are so many young people killing themselves?

The answers are complex, and stem from the breakdown of the family, legalized abortion (which devalues human life), the loss of faith in society as a whole (if there's no God, how does life have meaning or purpose?) and, finally, an unrealistic sense of failure to measure up.

Measure up to what? The media's idea of how they “should” be.

Young women are particularly vulnerable to the society-fueled obsession with weight and appearance, as they are constantly bombarded with images of hyped-up beauty. From Britney to Sleeping Beauty to Barbie, women are supposed to be slim and flawless. School teachers report that girls as young as nine and ten can be heard worrying about over-eating and being on diets. Meanwhile, at the same time, there is so much computer and video game usage that staying in healthy shape is a greater challenge for today's kids than ever before!

As a parent, I struggle to find ways to affirm my girls' attractiveness—just the way they are—when there is so much out there telling them a different message. At age ten, my middle daughter is now saying to me (when I tell her how beautiful she is), “You only think that because you're my mother!” Or, “You're supposed to say that because I'm your daughter.” She is already internalizing society's message that being “beautiful” is directly correlated to how sexy you are, and what brand or type of clothing you wear. She might not put it that way, but this is what it comes down to.

Where is she getting these ideas? They are seeping in from all sides! We have a protected environment in our home—to a degree. (No TV, just selected videos and DVDs) But as I mentioned earlier, even “Barbie” is picture-perfect and skinnier than Twiggy.

On an up note, Dove (the beauty products manufacturer) has produced a video showing the transformation of an ordinary girl (read: could be your daughter. Could be you!) into a super-glamorous billboard model. I had both my daughters view this and my ten-year-old was shocked. It's an eye-opening message we need to get out. (To view the video please go to my blog, “http://shesgotcharacter.blogspot.com” and see the latest post called, “Hey Beautiful—Get Real!”)

After viewing the video together, make it a point to pick up magazines that show stars “As they really are”. Celebrities hate this, but it's a shot in the arm for girls who are struggling with self-image or self-worth issues (and what girls don't?). Finally, remember to affirm that God has created them specially (they're not an accident); He has a “personalized” plan for their life (purpose); and that they ARE beautiful—just the way they are.

(http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com)

(Christian) Inspirational Romance Author

These entries are independently submitted and do not necessarily reflect the views of this ministry.

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