Life as a Lifeschooler

Chris Davis without a doubt has had the biggest influence on my own homeschooling. God providentially led me to his blog years ago and I have never forgotten his analogy of the acorn in this blog post. It is what set me off in a different direction, with the necessary confidence to go against the grain and simply allow my children to pursue their gifts.

But how do we handle the high school years? Can we continue with a lifeschooling mindset and crowd out all the influences and voices around us that tell us we have to conform? Will we be successful if we simply allow our children to continue pursuing their God-given gifts? The success of Chris’ own children inspires me and should give us all courage to continue lifeschooling!

Most people know Chris Davis as owner of the former homeschool supply company, The Elijah Company or as a homeschool conference speaker. Others know him as the father of 4 awesome children, now grown, who are doing amazing things that give Chris the courage to follow God in ever new ways. Still others know him as owner of www.HomeschoolTravel.com. For many years, Chris has brought homeschooling families to tour biblical Israel.

Chris Davis’ blog, homeschoolingwisdom.com, is mostly about homeschooling. However, from time to time he shares things God has shown him in his 70 plus years on the planet and 30 plus years being involved with homeschooling families.

If you follow his blog, you may just read something that will help you raise (and educate) your own children. When Chris began homeschooling over 30 years ago, he was quite opinionated on the subject. After all these years, he has become even more opinionated. (bio taken from https://chrisdavis.wordpress.com/about/.)

And I can relate to that sentiment!

Here is what I ask Chris on the show:

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

The post Raising our Children in Light of their Gifts – Chris Davis appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

I won’t even try to pretend that Konur and Elleina are not my favorite guests so far! A mom has a right to such bias! What a fun interview talking with my kids about pursuing gifts and how God has allowed them to do this in lifeschooling.

How we carry out the lifeschooling vision can look a little different from family to family, but here is what lifeschooling looks like in a very relaxed setting.

Konur is our firstborn who is 16. He is amazing with computers and is currently learning to program apps. He loves math, history (particularly WW2), and grammar. He also has an interest in dog training and helps take care of the animals on our homestead.

Elleina is our middle child who is 13. She is our creative one. She loves acting, writing, and art and is also learning Welsh and Danish. She played the role of 12-year-old Kate in the movie “Like Arrows: The Art of Parenting” which will be in theaters for one weekend in May, 2018, and she also had the lead role in a play last year (2016). She just finished going through the proof copy of her first novel, which we hope will be available for purchase later this month. (Update: No Return was published in December, 2017. You may purchase it on Amazon).

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

The post Pursuing Gifts Through Lifeschooling – Konur and Elleina Papageorgiou appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

I was privileged to talk to friend and author Christina Brown about her homeschooling journey and why she created Alphabet Smash, a wonderful resource for preschoolers that focuses on one letter at a time and brings in multiple activities from various subject areas to teach the child about that letter and it’s sound. Christina is heavily involved in leadership in the homeschool community in Charlotte, NC, and she also spoke at and helped plan the Lifeschooling Conferences.

Christina  is a homeschool momma of three and the author of AKAHomeschoolMom.com and Alphabet Smash.  Her work has been featured in Proverbs 31 Magazine, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Home Educator Family Times, Greenhouse and others.  She is a hopeless logophile and always brakes for yard sales.  She enjoys yoga, running, photography and wants to own some chickens! Her writing is inspired from her faith in Jesus Christ, adventures in NC with her Adventure Group, and her 25 year marriage to best friend, Richard.  She has homeschooled for more than 18 years, serves on the board of ZOE Teens, Co-Moderates CCHNet (Charlotte Christian Homeschool Network-the largest online support group in Charlotte), and serves as a Region 4 Liaison to NCHE. Christina’s passion is to encourage others to intentionally connect faith, family, and fun. You can connect with Christina on her website, www.AKAhomeschoolmom.

Here is what I talk to Christina about on this episode:

If you would like to grab a copy of Christina’s book, Alphabet Smash, you can find it here.

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

The post Alphabet Smash and Lifeschooling – Christina Brown appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Kevin Swanson of Generations.org talks with me about the principles of an excellent education and particularly the aspect of life integration, which is central to the lifeschooling philosophy. We also discuss what should be the core curriculum of every homeschool: The book of Proverbs.

Kevin Swanson runs the Generations ministry in Elizabeth, Colorado. He was homeschooled by his parents in the 1960s and 70s. For the last 22 years, Kevin and his wife, Brenda have home educated their own five children.

The Swanson family produces multiple podcasts, news programs, and published books, not to mention dog breeding and other exciting projects that keeps the home humming every day. Kevin has written extensively on family economy, mentorship, real life school application, and Christian worldview. Kevin has mentored 10-12 young men over the last 12 years out on their property in the eastern plains of Colorado.

I had the privilege of visiting with Kevin and his sweet wife, Brenda, and being featured on one his Generations radio shows.

Here are some questions I ask Kevin on this show:

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

The post The Principles of an Excellent Education – Kevin Swanson appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Some children are better suited for a path in entrepreneurship that does not necessarily require a college degree. On today’s show, Rhea Perry (speaker at our 2016 and 2017 Lifeschooling Conferences) shares the wisdom she applied in homeschooling her son, who became a millionaire entrepreneur by early adulthood and brought his father home from corporate America.

Rhea (pronounced Ray) Perry has educated 7 children since 1987. As a stay-at-home mom, her main goal in life is to encourage women to become the best homemakers they can be. She believes that includes helping their children discover their gifts and find their calling in life as early as possible. The family should also support the children until they enter their own personal journey on the road to financial security.

Yet how can we do that when we haven’t been educated or trained? We find ourselves learning as we are doing it with them. Sometimes we feel like the burden is too heavy. That’s why Rhea created a community called Educating for Success so those on this journey can encourage each other and share secrets along the way.

Whether you desire to have a job or a home business for your children or yourself, the greatest country that has ever existed economically – America – offers unlimited opportunities, especially since the Internet has changed the rules for entrepreneurship.

So many mothers struggle with a fear of failure, but how can we fail when God is for us and desires to help each of us fulfill the purpose He put us here to achieve? (Bio taken from http://www.educatingforsuccess.com/public/department13.cfm.)

I have personally known Rhea and been involved with her Protege entrepreneurship program for the past five or six years. Our family has made friends and business connections with people from all over the country who “do school” similar to the way we do it, with an emphasis on our children’s individual gifts and how they can be applied to entrepreneurship. And my own children are on their way to having successful businesses.

Here are the questions we ask Rhea on today’s show:

You can hear more from Rhea by purchasing the Lifeschooling Conference video sets from our website and visiting her site at www.EducatingforSuccess.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!

The post Entrepreneurship and Homeschooling – Rhea Perry appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Today we’re joined by Dr. Mary Hood who shares with us about the history of homeschooling, as well as her thoughts on college.

Mary Hood, Ph.D., along with her husband, Roy, homeschooled their five children all the way from kindergarten through college entrance. All of them are now adults, and have made a successful transition to college and beyond.

Beginning in the 1980s, she has spoken and written widely on a variety of topics concerning home education throughout the United States and overseas. She has a Ph.D. in education, and is the director of The Association of Relaxed Christian Home Educators, aka, “ARCHERS for the Lord” (Reference Psalm 127), which is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. She has also been a regular columnist for “The Old Schoolhouse Magazine”.

Mary is the author of such books as The Relaxed Home School, The Joyful Home Schooler, and The Enthusiastic Home Schooler.

Now in her sixties, Mary continues to write and speak widely on issues pertaining to homeschooling, as well as the wider field of education. Her organization has just re-opened The Relaxed Home Schooler’s Resource Center in Cherokee County, GA, where she will serve as director and teach several classes for teens. In addition, the organization is opening an actual primary school across the street in fall, 2017.For more info, visit the website, www.archersforthelord.org. (Bio from http://archersforthelord.org/_speaker.php).

We ask Dr. Hood the following questions:

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

The post College and the History of Homeschooling – Dr. Mary Hood appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

For this week’s podcast, Christi and I had the privilege of interviewing the Benham brothers, David and Jason Benham, former pro-baseball players and almost-stars on the cancelled HGTV show, “Flip it Forward,” as well as the authors of two books, Whatever the Cost and Living Among Lions…and of course, homeschooling dads, as well! We talked specifically about character training in homeschooling.

Twin brothers, David Benham and Jason Benham, pretty much share everything. They shared a womb, shared a room, and now share an office. Oh, and they even share a neighborhood! Growing up in Texas, the brothers both chose to marry northern girls, Lori and Tori (yes, those are their real names).

After spending a few years in professional baseball they each chose to hang up their spikes and move to Charlotte, NC. They started their first business in 2003 and currently own several companies that span the globe. David and Lori have five kids and Jason and Tori have four kids.

In 2014, they had their network television show, Flip it Forward, canceled because of their outspoken Christian beliefs. But God took that experience and built a platform for them to encourage Christians to live powerfully for Jesus in the areas of leadership, work, family, and culture. (Bio taken from https://benhambrothers.com/meetthe-brothers/.)

And they were also the keynote speakers at our 2017 Lifeschooling Conference in Charlotte, NC.

Here is what we asked David and Jason in our interview:

Some of our listeners may not realize that your families actually homeschool. Tell us why you chose to homeschool?

Danielle: I read your book, “Whatever the Cost,” how your own father, Flip Benham, (who I was actually privileged to minister with for a while with the pro-life group you started, Cities4Life) was so involved with your upbringing and character training even though you weren’t homeschooled. How has that influenced you two in your own families. Are you involved with the homeschooling?

Danielle: In your book, you say, “As Christians, our work is our worship. The Hebrew word for worship – avodah – is also the same word used for work. Our work becomes worship when we do it with all of our might for the glory of the Lord.” This was my biggest epiphany from your book because it fits so well with the whole lifeschooling philosophy! Even in homeschooling, we often take a humanistic approach to education…get good grades, get into a good college so they can get a good job. In fact, we often ask our kids “What do YOU want to be when you grow up?” It’s very self-focused.

With lifeschooling, it’s all about finding our children’s gifts and figuring out God’s unique mission for their lives. We train them to seek first God’s kingdom, and God will give them success in using their gifts for their work. Of course, we can worship God in whatever work we end up doing and there is valuable character training in that, too. But I believe that there is no better way to worship God than to use the gifts He put into us to do the thing that He created us to do! I really believe Satan does not want us to view our children as unique individuals with specific missions from the Lord. He loves the “assembly line” type of homeschooling that treats all children the same and does not allow them to find their gifts. What are your thoughts on that?

Christi: So clearly one of the gifts God gave the two of you is baseball and He certainly used that for His glory. I know many would-be homeschoolers hesitate to homeschool because of the issue of sports. Was this an important consideration in your decision to homeschool? And what value do you put on sports with your children?

Christi: What was it like to film the show and also try to homeschool? I imagine it really was lifeschooling! What did your children learn through that experience?

Christi: What is the one thing you would say to parents considering homeschooling, but who are still on the fence?

Danielle: And finally, can you guys let our listeners know where they can get a copy of your books, Whatever the Cost and Living Among Lions?

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

The post Character Training in Lifeschooling – David and Jason Benham appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

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 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.

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.

(Note: This is our first podcast, so please excuse the inferior sound quality. We will improve as we learn!)

The post The Philosophy of Lifeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.