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| Articles |
It’s All About Balance
Mar. 04
Dawn Cole
One of the hard things about homeschooling is that it is so easy to get completely absorbed in whatever
the current project or mindset is. We find ourselves in a “mode” that we can’t seem to break out of.
Sometimes it is academic and we sit with large piles of books, sometimes it is spiritual and we pour
over God’s holy book with fervor, or sometimes we get caught up in sewing, reading, or some great
“hands-on” experiments that we are really into.
When we get into these “modes” it is so easy to let many other things slide. We can get so into the
“hands-on” types of learning that our math book starts to gather dust. On the other hand, we can get
so into our books that we forget to step outside and enjoy God’s creation.
So we need to have balance. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “There is a time for everything, and a season for
every activity under heaven.” While home educating is not specifically mentioned, I believe the
principal can still apply.
There should be a balance between worldly knowledge and that of our Lord and his word. A person
who has no knowledge of the Lord will be in sad shape when it is time to face eternity. However, a
person who does not have sufficient knowledge of the world the Lord made for us will suffer because
of it.
There should be a balance between book work and hands-on learning. Too much book work can overtax
our mind and not allow enough exercise for our body. Remember it is one thing to read of things in
books, it is quite another to experience them.
Also, periods of work need to be balanced with times of rest. Too much work and we grow weary and
irritable. On the other hand too much play can keep us from “taking care of business”.
The mystery is in achieving this balance. There is no magic formula. The trick is to keep the need for
balance in our minds and to be on the lookout for overload in any given area.
Pray that the Lord will guide you as you guide your children. After all, looking at this world and the
complex workings of it we can see that the Lord is the master of balance!
Mar. 04
Dawn Cole
One of the hard things about homeschooling is that it is so easy to get completely absorbed in whatever
the current project or mindset is. We find ourselves in a “mode” that we can’t seem to break out of.
Sometimes it is academic and we sit with large piles of books, sometimes it is spiritual and we pour
over God’s holy book with fervor, or sometimes we get caught up in sewing, reading, or some great
“hands-on” experiments that we are really into.
When we get into these “modes” it is so easy to let many other things slide. We can get so into the
“hands-on” types of learning that our math book starts to gather dust. On the other hand, we can get
so into our books that we forget to step outside and enjoy God’s creation.
So we need to have balance. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “There is a time for everything, and a season for
every activity under heaven.” While home educating is not specifically mentioned, I believe the
principal can still apply.
There should be a balance between worldly knowledge and that of our Lord and his word. A person
who has no knowledge of the Lord will be in sad shape when it is time to face eternity. However, a
person who does not have sufficient knowledge of the world the Lord made for us will suffer because
of it.
There should be a balance between book work and hands-on learning. Too much book work can overtax
our mind and not allow enough exercise for our body. Remember it is one thing to read of things in
books, it is quite another to experience them.
Also, periods of work need to be balanced with times of rest. Too much work and we grow weary and
irritable. On the other hand too much play can keep us from “taking care of business”.
The mystery is in achieving this balance. There is no magic formula. The trick is to keep the need for
balance in our minds and to be on the lookout for overload in any given area.
Pray that the Lord will guide you as you guide your children. After all, looking at this world and the
complex workings of it we can see that the Lord is the master of balance!
