House Church Talk - Re: home education with respect to "ruling one's house well"

[Flash]

> Elaine and I home schooled Clare and Simeon. They both did well. Clare has just finished University, and Simeon finishes next year. BUT... if I knew then what I know now, we would never have done it! Whilst gaining so much, they lost a lot of early lessons. I have been ammazed at the ghettoism that I have seen, especially among many house churches in the US. Yes we need to protect our children, give them a Godly education etc. But insulate them from the real world, never. We must teach them to be in the world, but not of it! How can we do that while keeping them wrapped in cotton wool at home. Don't get me wrong, the home-schooled Kids i've met are wonderful, but oh so many, lack knowledge of the world at their doorstep. How can one so educated truly reach out with understanding to a junkie on a project. I thank God that my kids always come with me into the dark places and are now reaching out to the poor and needy. I have seen successes, but I have also seen "Stepford Wives!
> ". Is it not time that we reassessed what it means to be in the World but not of it in the area of education.  
> 
> Blessings
> 
> Keith Smith

Ummm - train up a child in the way he should go - sounds a bit like stepford wife?

I dunno, is the place all/each of us is to be - with junkie on projects in dark places?

We have homeschooled 1 daughter and 6 sons thru high school.  We would have thought that secular higher educashun would be nice also - but alas, the opportunity (money) has not been there.  And, no, welfare money is not proper in this regard.  So, our sons work at jobs they can get - that is very fine and okay with us.  They think along with me that life is not as cool as most people think it is.  It is rough, it is tough, it is mean, it is not loving at all.  But, we each try to do what we can to make it less of all the bad for those around us, and we laugh a bunch together.  Reality is reality - life, even having a wonderful saviour who defines love and who is at work in us is not a bowl full of cherries.  My sons want heavan more than earth - and while that sounds kinda deadly, it is at least realistic and I cannot fault their perspective one bit.  This does not mean they are mentally unstable - just that they express reality.  When God provides opportunity, we launch.  But there are times when maintaining is in order, and we have been treading water for a looooong time now and that is nice in many ways.  God has been good to us in terms of housing stability and job and decent home for us all to live together.
DanG ChicagoArea