Ultimate Homeschool Radio Show

Does Creation Matter? Why does the discussion on how God created the world matter? Did God really create the world in six days and rest on the seventh? Does anyone really care? These questions and many more including teaching tips and great resources are presented in the Creation Science Podcast, my name is Felice Gerwitz and it is my pleasure and honor to be your host.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast!  Do that here:  SUBSCRIBE

Sponsored by Smash Maths

SMASH Maths provides 2 online math Practices every week for children.

Many times I’ve discussed the purpose of having a creationist perspective, and people would say, “Why do you care?” The reason I care is that I want my children to grow up with a Christian worldview and share that with their children, someday. In the writing of my Truth Seekers Mystery Series book, I had a “God-incident” that I share in this episode.

In a nutshell, I was rushed during the Christmas season and wanted nothing to do with the rereading of the draft copy of one of the novels. You see, as a novelist, and co-novelist at the (along with my then, college-aged daughter, Christina), I was the one in charge of final proofreading and I kept finding mistakes. I was frustrated. I threw up a heavenward prayer, “God are you sure you have the right person doing this job?” And, I wasn’t talking about the job of editing, I was talking about the job of being the “hands and feet” of God – spreading the word about the fallacies of evolutionary claims. Which these novels demonstrate in a fun-easy to read and mystery adventure. More about the TruthSeekersMysterySeries.com here.

Heading to a store to do last minute shopping, I happened upon a calling card placed in a nativity scene I was about to purchase. (The audio includes details about this, but here is the visual — a copy of the card:

Listen to the podcast for the rest of the story!

Be sure and check out our blog, HomeforLearning where you’ll find helpful science posts:

Do I Really Need to Teach Science in My Homeschool?

Teaching Science | Unit Study 

How and What to Teach with Science

and visit our Creation Science Podcast page.

The post Creation Matters appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Our pastor recently did a sermon on the Fruit of the Spirit, and it inspired me to start a Bible study inside my private Christian parenting Facebook group.  (By the way, anyone listening who’d like to join that group, I’d love to have you! You can click here to join.)

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been studying the Fruit of the Spirit, as it applies to motherhood.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Wow! Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all things that I desire to be to my children as their mother.

The way we attain the fruit of the Spirit that we desire is by faith through the Holy Spirit. But when we put God on the back burner, we experience what I have officially named “the fruit of the mom flesh.”

And here’s the Marianna version… “But the fruit of the mom flesh is nagging, yelling, annoyance, harshness, manipulation, shaming,  and lack of self-control.”

Ouch. I have no problem admitting that some of these qualities describe my parenting some days. But, I believe that there is hope in Christ.

Maybe you’re a mom who has blown it time and time again and you think there’s no hope for you to change. Perhaps you come from a long line of emotional abuse and you feel powerless to break the cycle. Maybe you feel like you’ve been mommin’ the same way for so long that there’s not even any point to try to change.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control….it’s not up to you to produce this fruit. In fact, it’s not even about you! It’s about Christ in you and the Holy Spirit working in your heart.

When we experience the gospel and the love that God has so lavished upon us, we cannot help but overflow with that love!

Be careful not to get stuck in this place of mom guilt. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Man, I just don’t embody these fruit of the spirit,” let me remind you.  Pastor J.D. Greear says, “For every one look you take at yourself bemoaning your fruitlessness, take ten looks at Christ, boasting in his faithfulness.”

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 NIV

“…’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6 NIV

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 NIV

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Join Marianna Chambers as she talks about practical ways to become a more peaceful parent. Having children is a wonderful blessing, but it can also be quite stressful. Every day we hear from moms just like you who are struggling to be the gentle parent they want to be. Moms desperately want to raise their children on a firm foundation of love, but those sweet kids sure know how to push our buttons. (And boy, do they push them!)

Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible! Here is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. With over 400 engaging features, colorful illustrations, and helpful notes, this Bible is perfect for girls ages 8 to 12 as they learn about the strong and faithful women who came before them. From Eve to Ruth, Esther to Mary, this Bible brings the stories of these women to life and shows how their faith and strength can still inspire girls today. Featuring a beautiful design and easy-to-read text, this Bible is a great resource for girls as they grow in their own faith and learn about the women who have impacted the world.

The post The Fruit of the Spirit for Moms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

On this very special episode of Life as a Lifeschooler, I talk about Love in Homeschooling. 

What an honor it is to recognize the work of Felice Gerwitz and 10 years in homeschool podcasting on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network!

Episode Sponsored by the 10th Birthday Celebration Sponsors, CTC Math & More on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network  out the $350 giveaway, too!

Over time, love has become a central focus of my Christian walk, as I’ve realized how impactful this one concept of loving others can be. Jesus says that all the law and the prophets are summed up in “love God, love your neighbor as yourself.” If one thing can cover so much ground, it must be essential that we understand it!

In a very basic sense, when we homeschool our children, we are loving our neighbor as ourselves. We remember what school was like for us and we want better for them. We are sacrificing our own opportunities for income, self-fulfillment, and achievement in order to see our children successful and fulfilled.

So it’s good to be reminded of what love really is. If we want to truly love, we must know what exactly love is. And to know exactly what love is, we must turn to the Bible’s definition in 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter.”

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

You can even do it in the power of the Holy Spirit, according to this chapter, and still fail your kids! That’s how important love is to everything you do in life. In fact, love was so important to God that He sent Jesus to die for us. Love is at the very core of the Gospel!  So we need to have a full understanding of it.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Are you patient in teaching your children about 56 times in a day that 7×8 is 56? Are you patient in teaching them how to do their chores quickly and diligently? Or is your goal to check off the boxes and be done?

Do your children see you as an example of kindness? When they talk back and disrespect you, do you respond “in kind” or with kindness (and discipline, of course)?

Pride is the opposite of love. Pride is all about self, not God and others.

If you are busy making yourself feel accomplished from the shiny, perfect children you have raised, then your homeschooling is not about love. It is about boastfulness in your own achievements. If you look at others whose kids graduated high school at age 13 and think, “That’s not so great. We could have done that if we had wanted to,” then you may have an envious heart that has no room for love.

This again comes back to a prideful heart that is not focused on others. If you think you don’t need the advice or opinions of others in your homeschooling journey, then first of all, why are you here? And secondly, you may be arrogant.

Arrogance often leads to rudeness. When someone gently and lovingly corrects your parenting or offers a kind word of advice, do you respond rudely? When your children respectfully correct your teaching, pointing out an error in something you say, do respond graciously, thanking them for the information, or do you speak to them rudely? Is your instant reaction, “You’re being disrespectful!”?

Do you insist on doing school in a way that works for you as the teacher? Or do you submit your own comfort to the needs and desires of your children in their learning?

Do you have to have your cup of coffee before you can be nice? Do you resent your children for keeping you from pursing your own career or hobbies? Or do you consider it a joy to sacrifice your own desires for the sake of their callings (and your highest calling)?

Are you more focused on the wrongdoing of your children than what is good and true? Are you almost happy when you finally catch them doing something you had suspected of them so you can finally dole out the punishment they deserve? Or do you focus on their good behavior and rejoice when they choose to do right and follow truth?

Do you bear all the frustrated tears? The arguments? The lack of confidence? Do you encourage your children and give them a break when they are tired and burned out on school work?

Do you believe the best when your children fail? Do you try to see their hearts and give grace, even thought discipline may still be required?

Do you tend to focus on the positive or the negative? Do you rest in the hope we have in Christ, that He is our strength and our “very present help in time of trouble”? Or do you allow fear to cripple you in your homeschooling and cause you to believe the enemy’s lies about your children’s future? Perfect love casts out fear! 1 John 4:18

Are you in it for the long haul or are you swayed by your feelings and doubts? If you are homeschooling out of love, you will endure the hardest days because you know spending each day with your child is the best way to get to his heart. If your decision to homeschool was made because of love, you will continue to homeschool because of love and nothing will move you.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

“Knowledge will pass away.” It is only a tool for advancing God’s Kingdom on this earth in the short time we have. Love is what really matters and what will transcend anything we can possibly teach.

“More is caught than taught.” We’ve all heard that phrase and it’s certainly true here. No matter how biblical your teaching; no matter how diligent you are with discipline; no matter how much information you manage to fill their brains with, if you are not doing it all in love, they will “catch” that and learn the lessons you are not meaning to teach. Children know whether they are being loved or controlled.

If you want to have a successful homeschool, with children who grow up to love and serve the Lord with their gifts, let Holy Spirit-empowered love be the central, guiding force in your homeschooling!

And that’s Life as a Lifeschooler! Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Hope you’ll join us next time!

The post Lifeschooling | Love in Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

“We’re not just raising kids, we’re raising resilient adults. We’re raising spiritual beings.”

Join Lisa Nehring on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Show in celebration of our 10th Birthday Celebration!

Episode Sponsored by the 10th Birthday Celebration Sponsors, CTC Math & More on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network  out the $350 giveaway, too!

In a world where people easily crumble like delicate snowflakes and take offense at the drop of a hat, it’s high time we pondered this vital question: Are our children truly growing in resiliency?

Are they emerging as fearless warriors, fortified with unyielding character and an indomitable spirit? Let me tell you, this remarkable gift of resiliency will serve as their secret weapon in navigating an increasingly secular world.

So join me on this resilience adventure as we explore the importance of resilience and why it’s high time we raise a generation of tenacious individuals who can conquer any challenge that comes their way. Trust me, it’ll be one heck of a ride.

In her excellent book, appropriately titled, Grit, Angela Duckworth takes on the task of developing the idea of resilience in our children. She advocates for making resilience development a part of kids’ life skills curriculum.

I couldn’t agree more. Our kids need resilience. It’s what allows them to go out and compete, take risks, fail, and try again.

Practice– Practice is what lets us learn as we go. To practice and develop well, we must get assessments and feedback.

Choose something that requires deliberate daily practice.

After Action Your Homeschool Year

Find Lisa at the Life Skills 101 Podcast on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Check out True North Homeschool Academy

Our mission at True North Homeschool Academy is centered around the Compass, and that’s by design. It’s the heart of what we do, because we are heading True North with the Christian conviction that together our homeschools should transmit a culture of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, as we are headed True North, rooted in Christ.

True North Homeschool Academy is a virtual online learning experience with a small class size, and dynamic teaching from world-class teachers, with a focus on creating a one-of-a-kind educational experience families will love.

Thank you to our sponsor for the Birthday Celebration: CTC Math.

The post Helping Our Kids Have Resiliency with Lisa Nehring appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Article author: Gina Steffy

Join us as we celebrate 10 years of homeschool podcasting on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. Don’t miss the giveaway.

Thank our podcast sponsor: CTC Math.

Homeschooling Work-Life Balance

In this episode of “Homeschooling Work-Life Balance,” we’re delving into the intricate challenge of balancing a full-time job while homeschooling.

If you’re employed with full-time work inside or outside the home, your work tasks can leave feeling overwhelmed when trying to balance this with homeschooling. It can take a toll on your mental health and you might feel like one more Zoom call will end you.

Even with older children, the demands of being a full-time homeschooling parent are a lot to juggle. Take a deep breath, I have some good news for you. You can be a homeschooling mom and learn to gracefully juggle all.the.things.

Let’s join Vicki Tillman for her seasoned advice for homeschool schedules and additional resources and ideas to give us the highest quality time in the most effective way.

Vicki works as a counselor in her regular job, and offers life and career coaching services at vickitillmancoaching.com. Vicki helped found a large homeschool “umbrella school” and served that community for almost 20 years as an upperclassmen academic advisor and teacher (where she helped hundreds of students take the next steps toward college or career). She graduated all 5 of her children from homeschool. They are all pursuing or have completed varying levels of college degrees from BA to PhD.

Sabrina, Vicki and Kym are your Big Sisters as they share the experience they’ve gained in over 20 years of homeschooling. They are the talky-3 of the 6 Sisters at 7SistersHomeschool.com. They are often joined by their other sisters, Kym and Marilyn OR other 7th Sisters! When YOU join us at The Homeschool Highschool Podcast, YOU will be our 7th Sister, too! Hooray!!

Come be our 7th Sister each week for The Homeschool Highschool Podcast, Tuesday mornings at 9:00 am EST!

The post Finding Balance with Working from Home and Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.