Plans vs. Preparation

(I originally wrote this article for the HSBA Post.)

Does your homeschool have ups and downs?

We have so many ups and downs in our homeschool, it can make you have motion sickness.

Two weeks ago, we decided to take a short break from doing full school days so we could pack for the first family vacation we have had in 2.5 years! We were so excited to go to the Baltimore Harbor and play in the area museums, sight see, and be tourists! Would you like to guess when we went to Baltimore??? It was during their record-breaking snow, of course. We were there for one and a half nights, before we awoke the kids at 3 A.M. to drive home and avoid the second barrage of snow!

When we arrived back home, I thought we had better make up for our homeschooling “vacation” days. I decided I would take a bit of a break from my real estate business so that I could focus 100% of my energies on homeschooling. Instantly, 3 buyers came running to me, asking for my help in listing their homes, saying they wouldn’t work with any other agents. I’m thankful for the business of course, but it didn’t exactly enhance my homeschooling schedule!
Well, this week I really put my foot down. I actually made the declaration, “This week, we will do nothing but school, so we can all feel caught up again.” Lo and behold, Georgia got more snow in one day than we’ve gotten in the past 3 years. Public school kids were stoked about being out of school, and many of them spent 3 days in my house and yard. That’s not the best environment for completing a homeschool day!

Yesterday evening, I took a deep breath.

Me: “God, I have no idea how to get over this very large bump in the road.”
Psalm 32:8“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Me: “Lord, are we helpless at this point? Will we ever be caught up?”
Proverbs 15:22Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.

Me: “I will do everything I can to try to catch up God, but you KNOW I will seriously need Your help!”
Isaiah 58:11The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

So, I sought out some counselors. After an hour of searching and planning this morning, I devised my very own “morning calendar” for the family to follow, and a customized homeschool schedule to reference daily. If you are interested in seeing my homeschool calendars, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

I gave each child a small amount of chores to complete each morning upon awakening, listed a showering schedule, and listed what time everyone should meet at the table for breakfast on our morning calendar.

On the homeschool calendar, I gave an allotted amount of time to each subject, alternating some subjects on different days. We tried the schedule for the first time today, and I was THRILLED with our success. We finished exactly on time, and we all felt great.

Sometimes our plans for life don’t go the way we had hoped. But a little preparation never hurt anyone.

Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way,but the Lord establishes his steps.