Dear Stacey, I am praying for God's hedge of protection around your family. So sorry you are going through this difficult time.

I love Hebrews 12:1. My dh always says "happiness" depends on what is happening. Both words come from the same root: happiness and happening. On the other hand, joy and peace come from a deep understanding of God's plan for the world and trusting Him with our lives no matter what the circumstances are. Apostle Paul talks about the joy he has even in midst of imprisonment and persecution. Why? Because he understood the bigger picture. Reading the Bible in one year has helped me see God's sovereignty. He is sovereign even when things go bad. He is in control.

I am so sorry. Praying here. :grouphug:

I am praying for both of your requests. Please keep us updated.

:iagree: You have received great advice. Once, someone suggested rubbing garlic on the bottom of baby's feet to relieve cold symptoms. I have never tried it. Perhaps it will work with his runny nose.

We pulled our dc out in January of 2002. It was the best decision we could make concerning their education and well-being. While waiting for the curriculum to arrive, I spent a month reading to them. It gave us a chance to bond as we discovered great books together. It took 6 months before my dh and other relatives noticed the blessings of homeschooling. Of course dc were upset at first concerning the socialization factor, but now everyone in our household agrees that homeschooling is the right choice for us. I know you can do it. If I can, so can you. Go for it. You will be amazed at how homeschooling will free your ds to express his creativity.

Go for it! You will save so much money. We borrow library DVDs/VHS. The other day we watched Prince Caspian on YouTube for free without commercials. Watching TV does not require thinking skills or concentration. Reading books on the other hand engages the mind and develops critical thinking skills (depending on the book you are reading). My dh always says there is no pre-requisite for watching TV, anybody can do it.

I'm sorry, I don't recommend it for a 5 year old. Two gory characters who belong to the witch's army come back to decieve Prince Caspian. They are nasty looking. There are some other violent scense which are not appropriate for a 5 year old.

I would homeschool all three. Once you find homeschooling friends, your husband will change his opinion. The negatives of ps/private school are overwhelming to me. With homeschooling, I can control whom they socialize with. With ps/private school, it's next to impossible, not to mention the other problems. To be honest, now that my kids are in high school and swim team, we don't have much time for socialization. There are many homeschooling books out there that talk about the negatives of too much socialization. It's been years since I've read them, but I have to agree that not all socialization is good for our children and us. The Bible has a lot to say about that as well. It talks about being careful who we associate with. The book of Proverbs is full of advice on this. If your children join a homeschooling activity group such as swimming or debate, they will find lots of friends. Perhaps so much so that you may end up sifting through people to see who shares your values and keep a few as your friends. I will pray that the Lord would lead you to the right choice and that you would have peace concerning your decision.

I am praying for you. Please keep us updated and as you already know very well: The Lord is in complete control, He knows what He is doing. He will bring to completion the good work He has begun in your family. His ways are mysterious, but He is faithful. He is going to reward your faithfulness. Thank you for posting because many, many people will lift you up in prayer. :grouphug:

:iagree: Thank you for all of your input, I appreciate your comments and agree 100% with all that you have said here.

I am praying for you. Is there someone she honors and respects (a family friend and/or a pastor) who could talk to her about some of the possible consequences of her decision? Perhaps a christian counselor?

I am not going to hurt people by mentioning names. There is a right time to place a supportive comment about ps (I am not against pro-ps comments at the right time). It's just not appropriate to do so when someone is posting about a hurtful experience they had with ps. Also, if you read further in my post, you will see that I said there are lots of supportive and encouraging people here. I was not referring to you.

Joanne, I am 100% with you on this one. It is my goal to support/encourage/pray for those who have been hurt inside or outside of ps. We as homeschoolers need support. After all this is a homeschooling board. If person "A" comes in and says how hurt/discouraged she is as a result of private/public schooling, we should jump in there to encourage her instead of pointing out "my public school is not like yours and here is the reason why I send my kids to ps" type of thing. Please be sensitive and save that for another thread. With that said and done, I have to say there are lots and lots of encouragers on this board. I am not against ps at all, and am thrilled that public schoolers are visiting this board. Everyone (ps and hs) can glean helpful information from this precious website. It has been a tremendous source of help and encouragement to me.

We love Frank Capra movies: It’s a Wonderful Life - James Stewart You Can’t Take It With You – James Stewart, (a brilliant comedy) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – James Stewart and also not a Frank Capra movie: Christmas in Connecticut – Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan

Thank you for sharing your experience Dana. It wasn't an easy decision to pull her out and post here, was it? We live in a small community, and I have seen my fair share. The Lord will give you the strength you need not only to overcome the damage, but also to lead your dd in the right direction. My prayers for you and your family.

Dear Aubrey, I will definately be in prayer for your decision. Here is what I learned from studying the life of Moses at Bible Study Fellowship one year, I think it had to do with the passage that referrs to Moses leading the Israelites into the promised land, some were doubting the report the spies gave to Moses, some were trusting the Lord: Concerning making decisions: 1) Pray that the Lord would open up your spiritual eyes to see His calling and His direction. Pray for wisdom and discernment as you begin to examine the scriptures. Did the Lord call your dh to attend seminary? If so, how will the Lord provide for your needs while you are following His calling? 2) Examine the scriptures to see if the decision you are about to make agrees with what the Bible has to say. In other words, look at each option and see what the Bible has to say concerning the path you are thinking about. Is it according to God's word? There are a lot of passages concerning our financial worries. 3) Look at each option and ask the Lord to give you peace concerning the path He wants you to take. Does the Lord give you peace about leaving the church you do not like? Concerning the church you do not like, is there a theological difference? or difference in the style of preaching or worship? or something else? The Lord promises to take care of His own. We experienced this when my dh went to Dallas Theological Seminary. Again, I will be praying for you.

Sunshine, I must say you are clever and funny at the same time. Great ideas!

I did the same thing. The first year, they threw a fit! The 2nd year, less gifts for adults The 3rd year children only, The 4th year no gifts, christmas cards only, The 5th year no cards, phone calls, emails only. Don't give up. Keep at it and little by little people will join you. I told them that I hate shopping and don't have the money (which is the truth).

Dear Bee, Your MIL's behavior is typical of manipulative people. I will pray that the Lord will show you how to handle her and set boundries that you and your dh are comfortable with. Prayer is very important in dealing with someone like her. Julie in CA has great ideas. View her as a victim and pray for her. She must be a misreable person inside. It has nothing to do with you. She is upset because she doesn't have a grip on you. It upsets a manipulative person when they feel powerless. It angers her that she doesn't have power over you. We had to deal with relatives the same way Julie does. Years later, they were unhappy even with the respect we gave them and eventually we came to a point where there is no relationship. We are believers in Christ and they are not. They just don't understand us. I would respect her as your children's grandmother. As Julie said, talk about things that interest her. Trust me she will get over this. She will come around. You have been gracious to her and I encourage you to keep up the great work you are doing. Praying for you.

Tracey, Thank you for posting, you are being prayed for. I Peter 5:7 Cast all your cares upon Him; for He cares for you. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

My intention was not to hurt step-mothers and step-fathers. We all have our own experiences. I am speaking from my own personal experience. If you love your step-son, that is wonderful. That is what the Lord wants, and you are pleasing Him. However, you are an exception to the rule. Please accept my apology. I was not referring to you in my earlier post. I am referring to the poor examples I have seen in the past. I know there are loving step-mothers/fathers out there. If this child is in a loving situation with his biological father, then he should stay there. However, Drama Queen stated that the biological father is a jerk!

When I said there is evil in this world, I was not referring to you or to your ex-husband. I am talking about temptations, and general evil that exists in this world. The Lord put us here on this earth to protect our children from evil in the world. I am not saying that your situation is evil, or that his biological father is evil. Your son is too young to fight evil in this world apart from you. You mentioned that his biological father is a jerk. Is he really interested or capable of caring for your son the way you care for him? That's all I am saying.

I will pray for you. Please pray and then talk to your ex-husband and remind him that as busy as he is providing for his family, he may not be able to watch your son closely. His wife will not care as much as you do. Bad things can happen if he does not have close supervision. He is only 15! I have a relative who had to move and left behind her dc. Dc did not follow her advice and chose a godless lifestyle. Now everyone is paying for it, including distant relatives. When one suffers, we all suffer. A 15 year old is not old enough to make such important decisions. His school and girlfriend will be faded in the timeline of his life! The consequences will not. Again, I will pray that you will do everything in your power (in addition to God's support) to take your son with you. People who are advising you to let him stay behind have not seen what I have. Our culture is fascinated with evil, a 15 year old is not strong enough to fight against it.

I am so sorry. We will pray for all involved.