Excerpt from Pajama School…A Letter to Readers
It was the end of 2006 and I was thinking and praying about goals for the next year. The words of Daniel 12:3 had been on my mind for the past several days, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” From this verse came forth two overarching goals for the following year – to grow in wisdom and to turn many to righteousness. I had some ideas of how I could grow in wisdom, but how could I turn many to righteousness? The idea flitted into my mind suddenly – I could write a book!
I reflected on the frequent conversations I have with homeschool families, or parents who are considering homeschooling their children. As soon as they learn that I graduated from high school as a homeschooler, the questions begin to flow. From what curriculum we used, to how we handled P.E., to what we did for socialization, at the heart of them all is the unspoken search for the assurance that if they homeschool their children they will turn out okay. I love encouraging weary Moms not to give up, and sharing with them the daily struggles we encountered as a homeschool family. I love answering the plethora of questions posed by curious Dads, and communicating to them my own Dad’s vision for homeschooling. I love challenging children and teenagers to embrace these years of their life and make the most of their homeschool experience for the glory of God.
The more I contemplated the possibility of writing a book, the more excited I became. Books have played such a huge role in my life. I love reading stories of men and women whose lives have been changed by the Lord. I love catching glimpses into their struggles and triumphs. I love being challenged and inspired by the things they have learned and the experiences they have lived. So, with a desire to encourage the hearts of homeschool families, and a vision to record a legacy that can be passed on to future generations, I set out to write this book. I had no idea how hard it would be, and there is no explanation other than the grace of God as to how it ever got finished! My slow and feeble writing skills alone could never have done the job. But at long last you hold in your hands the culmination of hundreds of hours of thinking and writing (and deleting and re-writing!). This is my story. The story of our homeschool family through my eyes. It’s not always what I wish it was, and in many ways it is a story that is still being written each day of our lives. But my prayer is that in it God will shine forth brilliantly and beautifully. And that He will use it to advance His kingdom and turn many to righteousness.
His servant~
~NatalieCopyright © 2008 by Natalie A. Wickham
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