Possible physical and spiritual symptoms in depression: Physical – insomnia or hypersomnia, significant weight changes, feeling or being restless or slowed down, fatigue, loss of energy, problems concentrating, sense of alienation from things once deemed beautiful and pleasant, feeling sad, blue, down in the dumps. Spiritual – shame, guilt, fear thanklessness, unforgiving spirit, hopelessness, unbelief, anger.
Edward Welch

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#8-7: Extra! Extra! The Extraordinary High School Years

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738 Posts
#1 · April 22, 2005, 3:16 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

 

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THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS

with Virginia Knowles

#8-7 on April 22, 2005

Extra!  Extra!  The Extraordinary High School Years

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Dear Hope Chest readers,

 

As promised, here is some great EXTRA(!) stuff about home schooling during high school.  The best part is that most of it wasn’t written by me!  What started as a short addendum to the high school issue has turned into a full issue in its own right.   I encourage you to share this with your own teens.  The next issue is on "Moms and Books" -- and I've got great things planned for it, too!

 

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.TheHopeChest.net

 

In this issue you will find:

 

  • A Tribute to My Husband Thad -- A Terrific Home School High School Dad
  • Home School Graduates Look Back
    • Joey Phillips
    • Bekah Klinect
  • Mary’s Favorite Web Sites
  • Web Sites for World View & Youth Culture
  • Amber Sutter: Teen Author of Rain of Redemption
  • Tips from Other Readers
    • Patty Morman: Pray, Laugh and Assume the Best!
    • Jennifern Teshera: The Top Priority
    • Charlotte Grogan: The Semester Block Scheduling Approach and US Driver Training
    • Chris Doughty: The Potter’s School
    • An anonymous reader: Life Skills Resources
    • Sharon: Put It Into Practice
    • Monica Smithson: A Beka DVDs
    • Christy Herbert: Teens at Work
  • A Parent’s Prayer by Amy Carmichael

 

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A Tribute to My Husband Thad -- A Terrific Home School High School Dad

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As I've been preparing these two high school issues of the Hope Chest, I've realized how much I have taken my husband Thad for granted in the way he has served our family.   As far as the high school years go, he has tutored math, held our teens accountable for school work and housework, chauffeured them to classes, helped choose the appropriate curriculum and educational opportunities for them, and walked through the college application and scholarship process.   Now I know that not all dads can do those things as easily as Thad, who has a somewhat flexible schedule, but the most important thing he does is something all dads can do.  HE PRAYS!   I can't count how many times, especially in recent months, that Thad has taken my hand and said, "Let's just pray about this."  It could be a decision we are making about high school or college, or how to deal with some of the overwhelming emotions that come from parenting teens, or whatever....  "Let's just pray."  Thanks, sweetie!  You're the best!

 

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Home School Graduates Look Back

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I asked Joey Phillips and Bekah Klinect, two young adults from our church, to share a little about what they most appreciated about being home schooled during high school, as well as what they are doing now and what their plans are for the future.   Thank you, Joey and Bekah!

 

Joey Phillips, 20 years old

 

“Loving High School at Home”

 

I loved being home schooled throughout high school for many different reasons, some of them practical and some of them relational. The practical reasons include such things as being able to dual enroll at a community college, thus earning high school and college credits at the same time, and being able to pursue academic interests more freely then I would have been able to do at a public or private school.

 

The reasons I would not have traded being home schooled in high school for a public or private school education are the relationships I was able to build and cultivate with my family. I do not think home schooling in high school would work very well in a family that didn’t get along. Due to my parent’s commitment to lead their children in biblical relationships, my family has always loved being together. Home schooling has played a huge role in facilitating my family’s health in our relationships. Academics have always been secondary to relationships, which in turn provide an atmosphere in which learning is enjoyable.    

 

I am a junior at the University of Central Florida majoring in Philosophy and getting a minor in Business.  I am a co-founder and member of Acts 29, a Christian campus ministry at UCF.  As for the future, after college I could end up doing any number of things, but some current ideas floating through my head include going into business with my oldest brother and seminary.

My main non-academic pursuits are music and basketball. I took piano lessons as a child for three years and have since taught myself to play the bass and acoustic guitars as well as the drums. I use each of those instruments to serve my local church in various ways. As far as basketball goes, I have played for as long as I have been walking. I currently am an assistant coach for the boys’ varsity team associated with my church.

~*~*~

Virginia’s note: Joey lives with his parents, Pastor Benny and Sheree Phillips, and has three married siblings and three younger siblings. This summer, he will be taking his second Mission:X trip and running two youth basketball camps at Metro Life Church.  I so appreciate the well-rounded, servant-hearted example he sets for the youth in our church, and for me as the mother of three young sons.  Joey is also known for his funky T-shirt collection. 

 

A little bonus for you: Joey's mom Sheree listed the following in the notes to a seminar on high school planning:

Another bonus for you: Joey's dad Benny preached a great sermon, “Suppressing the Truth”, last Sunday morning (April 17, 2005) which had a lot about philosophy and worldview.  You can download it in MP3 format, listen to it on-line or see the sermon notes.  http://www.metrolife.org/html/messages.html   You can "meet" Benny, who oversees Metro's home school ministry, at  http://www.metrolife.org/html/leadership.html   I also remember hearing Benny say that he studied some books by Jerry Bridges with Joey and his older brother Jesse several years ago.  Here's where you can get them:  http://www.ChristianBook.com
 
 
 

Bekah Klinect, 21 years old

 

For me, I guess the things I enjoyed or appreciated the most about homeschooling in high school, was that for the most part I could pick out what curriculum I used, whether text book or work book. Also being able to "double-up" days so I could do two days of school work in one and have a day off.  This was great as the days became warmer because then whenever my friends went to the beach, I could just double-up a day and go with them! There's more freedom in scheduling that way I think. Another great perk was being able to double-up grades. I was able to do my 11th and 12th grades in one year and graduate early. It was a lot of work and I had to make some other sacrifices, but I was determined to finish early and, being home schooled, that was an option for me!

 

What am I doing now? Right now I nanny three times a week for Nicole (a middle school student), and I just started watching my next door neighbor's little boy, Henri. I'll be watching him Monday through Friday while she's at work. She not a Christian, so this will be a great blessing and opportunity for me to share the gospel with her!

 

My plans for the future would include going on many more missions trips and of course traveling just for fun! I especially desire to go to China! It's been on my heart since I was six years old.

 

I also am preparing to be married one day and to have a family, so taking classes on interior decorating, painting, cooking, etc. are things I'm planning for this summer! There's also the possibility of starting my own business and being able to work from home. But I'm still seeking God as far as the details of that and just desiring to know His Will!!! 

 

 ~*~*~

 

Virginia’s note: Bekah has already been on two missions trips – one to Honduras, and the other to a country in Africa.  She has taught sign language classes in the past, and I hear that she is a talented writer, too.  I appreciate the balance she keeps between domestic pursuits and foreign outreach.  Bekah lives at home with her parents, Kurt and Debbie Klinect, and her four younger siblings.  Her older brother is in the Air Force, soon to be stationed in Korea.

 

ANOTHER little bonus for you: Bekah's mom Debbie co-publishes the great e-magazine, Along the Journey, for moms in various walks of life.  You can subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to [email protected] or visit http://welovegod.org/groups/alongthejourney/

 

 

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Mary’s Favorite Web Sites

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Virginia’s note:  June will be a big month for my oldest daughter Mary.  On the 5th, she graduates from The Regent Academy home school program with 30 college credits already completed.  The next two days, she attends orientation for the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida, where she will transfer on full scholarship this fall.  On the 22nd, she leaves for a 10-day Mission:X trip to La Paz, Bolivia, and on the 24th, she will turn 18!   What a busy month! 

 

I cannot personally vouch for the total contents of any of these sites – however, I don’t think you’ll find any fluff here!

 

http://www.collegeboard.com

(info and prep for the SAT and AP exams, college search tips, study tips, and more)

 

http://www.newsu.org

(free online journalism mini-courses)

 

http://www.worldmagblog.com

(WORLD magazine’s blog – news and opinion from a Christian viewpoint)

 

http://www.townhall.com

(conservative thought – read Kathleen Parker’s columns)

 

http://www.opinionjournal.com

(opinion from the Wall Street Journal – read Peggy Noonan’s columns on Thursdays)

 

http://www.infoplease.com

(user-friendly dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac, and more)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

(comprehensive encyclopedia created by online users)

 

http://plato.stanford.edu

(philosophy encyclopedia with in-depth articles by experts)

 

http://www.sparknotes.com

(quick info on literature and many other subjects – great for basic understanding of novels, etc.)

 

http://www.tkc.edu

(The King’s College – Christian liberal arts college in the Empire State Building)

 

 

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Web Sites for World View & Youth Culture

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After hearing from Hope Chest readers who wanted more information on teaching about worldview, I asked Pat Wesolowski, who organizes world view seminars, for some help.  She sent the following information from John Stonestreet along with her own picks, and I have added some others from various sources at the end.

 

John Stonestreet, the Summit Ministries program director for the eastern region and a professor of Biblical Studies at Bryan College in Tennessee, recommends:

 

  • Summit Ministries (http://www.summit.org): the most comprehensive resource on worldviews available including summer leadership conferences for students (in OH, TN, and CO), spring adult conferences, books, journals, newsletters, and curriculum
            - Susan Schaeffer McCauley, How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig
            - David Noebel and Tim LaHaye, Mind Siege
            - David Noebel, Understanding the Times
            - The Summit Lecture Series (CD Set)
  • World Magazine  http://www.worldmagazine.com
  • Probe Ministries http://www.probe.org
  • The Center for Parent and Youth Understanding http://www.cpyu.org
  • The Myers Institute http://www.myersinstitute.com

Pat Wesolowski ([email protected]) adds the following:

 

My friend Sharon Koller recommends:

 

 And I (Virginia) add these sites:

 

  • Plugged In Online http://www.pluggedinonline.com  -- movie reviews from a Christian perspective – provided by Focus on the Family
  • Al Menconi Ministries  http://www.almenconi.com/ - articles and reviews of video games, movies, TV, and music from a Christian perspective (This is great for checking the content of what your children or friends may be using!  There is a whole lot of garbage out there!)

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Amber Sutter: Teen Author of

RAIN OF REDEMPTION

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Browsing through a home school bookstore recently, I saw a familiar author’s name.  No, it wasn’t some world-renowned home school guru.  It was my friend Amber Sutter from church!  What makes this unique is that Amber is only 15 years old, and she wrote her novel, Rain of Redemption, when she was in 8th grade!  I knew I had to get behind the story of this talented teen.  Here’s the scoop:

 

Amber was ahead in language arts, so she took a year off from her regular curriculum to pursue a writing project.  This is not her first book.  She has been writing stories since she was little.  Her mom says, “God has gifted her in this way, so we wanted to encourage that…. She’s very imaginative, and reads voraciously and constantly.   She also loves to read and write poetry.”  Amber’s favorite author is Gilbert Morris, who writes Christian historical fiction.  That’s no surprise to me, since Rain of Redemption falls into that genre, being the story of an antebellum young lady who leaves a tragic home situation in Virginia to strike out on her own in Texas.   The plot takes many twists and turns – all hatched in Amber’s fertile imagination, though she did ask her mom for occasional advice.  One of the things I most appreciated is Amber's skillful weaving of Scriptural encouragement into the storyline.

 

A tremendous help to this process was using Carol Thaxton’s curriculum, Learn to Write the Novel Way, which takes students step-by-step through writing a book.  It forced her to write on days when she didn’t feel particularly “inspired” – which is a good thing!  Next year, Amber’s younger sister Heather, who is 12, may be using Thaxton’s newer book Write Your Roots, which involves interviewing and writing down family stories.

 

The project took Amber on entire school year.  First she had to write and edit the manuscript. Before completing the final draft, Amber asked three adult friends – two authors and a college professor / newspaper editor) to help edit the book and give their suggestions.  Then she formatted the pages, arranged for her grandfather to design the cover, and printed copies on cardstock, with a durable laminated, comb-bound cover.   Then it was time to celebrate!  The Sutters hosted a  book signing party complete with classical music, friends, family, a reading, and, of course, sharing copies of the books, which she signed.  

 

I asked Amber what she most appreciates about being home schooled through high school.   She said, “I am thankful not to have to deal with all the nonsense that goes on inside a public high school – drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, worldliness and godlessness.  Concentrating on academics would be more difficult in a large group of kids. I actually like having Mom as my teacher.  Our schedule is flexible, and I enjoy that.”  As for encouragement for other home schooled teens?  “WORK HARD, PRAY HARD, TRUST GOD!”

 

I can’t end this article without mentioning that Amber is the daughter of Kim Sutter, the author of a whole variety of excellent unit studies which are carried by ROCK Solid (http://www.rocksolidinc.com).   Writing and publishing are not the only interests shared by mother and daughter.   In August, Kim and Amber will travel to Vancouver, British Columbia to help with a missions outreach organized by the local Sovereign Grace church there.  During the summer, Amber also works as an assistant swimming teacher.  In fact, she helped teach three of my little ones to swim last summer!

 

Amber’s book which would be a tremendous inspiration to other young aspiring writers on what you can do when you set your heart and mind to it!  You can order Rain of Redemption for $8.99 plus shipping from Faithful Bookshop.  You can visit Faithful Bookshop in the shopping center just north of the intersection of Lee Road on Edgewater Drive in Orlando or visit their web site at  http://www.FaithfulBookshop.com and make a special request.  Way to go, Amber!

 

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Tips from Other Readers

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Patty Morman: Pray, Laugh and Assume the Best!

 

Pray, pray, pray!  Love a lot, keep a sense of humor, listen a lot, and read Age of Opportunity (by Paul David Tripp) and the Growing Kids Gods Way book (by Gary Ezzo)  for the teen years.  Rules without relationship can lead to rebellion, so get whatever help you can to reach their hearts and keep your hearts soft towards them, though they may seem less loveable than when they were little and cuddly!  Influence and teach/guide them as much as you can about good morals, resisting peer

pressure, etc BEFORE puberty hits - it can make your job in those areas easier during the actual teen years. Do the "purity ring" event, ceremony, thing that has been written about in Christian publications, right around puberty.

 

I wish I would have watched the Bill Cosby Show more while or before my kids were teens.  Since my kids are now in college I have time to tune in to the reruns and I notice they deal with some similar teen situations we had. It would have helped me to keep the ups and downs in better perspective and to have laughed more.  God speaks through many things, including a donkey in the Bible.  He speaks to me even via some secular media productions! Be forgiving, go the extra mile, show grace and mercy and understanding. Pray your head off for wisdom. Set reasonable boundaries and have the courage to confront and give consequences when needed, but don't overreact. Try to assume the best and give the benefit of the doubt - pray for balance.  Make friends with other parents of teens with whom you can share your hearts and honest prayers.

 

Remember God looks at the heart though man judges on the outside. Imitate God in that, if your teen has creative grooming ideas. Laugh, enjoy and remember if their heart and character are pure, clothes and hairstyle fads are just outward things. Other people may judge you and your teen negatively for that, but don't worry about it. God's perspective matters more than other people's.  It's ok to lose some insignificant battles  in order to win the war for their hearts.

 

(Patty is a Campus Crusade staff wife and mother of two home school graduates.  When we were members of Orlando Grace Church, Thad and I met regularly with Patty and Dennis and a few others to talk about parenting teens.)

 

Jennifern Teshera: The Top Priority

 

I'm glad that you opened up the door for this conversation.  The topic is hot on my mind.  I'm in the midst of home schooling/ co-oping  twin girls in the 11th grade.   I'm learning lots and this is an opportunity to put into words what I'm experiencing.  There are things I'd do over again if I had more kids to work with since I'm using my twins as guinea pigs.  The following suggestions come after you have already decided on the curriculum and have checked into the state's requirements for graduation.

 

    #1.  Keep God's word priority.   We're all working extra hard to remember this guideline.  When we do our days are very close to bliss when we don't you don't want to hear about our days. The world is very chaotic and disturbing; we desperately need to impress upon our children the importance of trusting and believing God's word.   Our family is memorizing and meditating on Psalms 91.   WOW!!!

 

    #2.  After God's word, our family attempts to have powwows with our daily planners in hand.  It’s VERY helpful to make sure that we're all on the same page.  This practice also teaches our young adults to set goals and reach them.  Goal setting and achieving the goals that we've set is an important part of our day.

 

    #3.  Accept the fact that life is a gift from God. and as a gift we are to appreciate it and treasure it -- ONE day at a time.  Cherish the fact that you have the marvelous opportunity to teach a teenager.  Everyday that I work with my girls I soak up the moments -- both the "fun" and the "challenging" moments.   Which reminds me:  if you put in your mind that the difficult situations are "challenges" and never allow the thought that they are "problems", you set your minds to work through them together.  I'm constantly encouraging the girls to think through the situation that we are going through.   It makes it "our" challenge not just mine or theirs.

 

    #4.  Use the words;  "When you do what you do I feel_____."  Rather than "You make me feel_______  when you do that!!!"   It is extremely beneficial and non-blaming.  We've found this habit to be a great tool in verbalizing our feelings.  Teenagers tend to be tight lipped about emotions, and this practice opens the door to healthy conversations.  A valuable resource is Fun-tastic Conversation Starters for Parents and Kids, which I purchased from Focus on the family.

 

    #5.  Utilize the days to nourish your children’s spiritual inner person not just their intellect. This is such a precious rapidly passing stage in your child's life.   We mothers are admonished by the LORD  to develop character and lasting, godly characteristics.

 

Charlotte Grogan: The Semester Block Scheduling Approach and US Driver Training

 

After 2 years of high school, I've decided to try the semester approach to classes versus the traditional 1 credit class for a whole school year.  I know some private/public schools do this under what they call the "block" scheduling.  I've watched high schoolers struggle with juggling 5-8 classes per school year and then I thought about college and how the approach is to take a few classes and study them hard and fast. 

 

Also, we used driver's education from http://www.usdrivertraining.com and the price has come down significantly especially if you have DSL in you home.  I have recommended the program to many friends and they love the style of teaching.

 

[Virginia’s note: Charlotte is the single mom of two teen daughters, and a NICU nurse at Florida Hospital.  She has been such a help and encouragement to our family throughout the years!]

 

Chris Doughty: The Potter’s School

 

I wanted to chime in on online classes.  We have tried FLVS [Florida Virtual School – which mentioned in the last Hope Chest] - my 15 year old daughter has taken 3 classes through FLVS - but have been much more pleased and impressed with The Potter's School.  I first learned about The Potter's School (TPS) through a link from the Apologia Science website.  The more I checked it out, the more impressed I became.  Even though TPS courses are not free (FLVS courses are), I have found the strong Christian worldview woven throughout all of their course material and their exceptional academic content to be well worth the price I have paid.  My 17 year old daughter (a junior in high school) has taken three courses with TPS: College Prep Grammar and Composition, The Works of C.S. Lewis and The Works of J.R.R. Tolkien.  Because of her love of writing, and my lack of desire and ability in this subject area, I knew I could not take her much farther on my own.  The courses have been very challenging, yet still enjoyable.  But the icing on the cake came just this afternoon when my daughter received notification that she passed the Communications I (Com I) CLEP Exam with flying colors! 

 

TPS was founded and is administrated by a homeschooling mom and dad.  Students attend classes with their instructor and fellow students for 1 1/2 hour each week.  We have found TPS instructors to be TOP NOTCH!  You can find out more information about TPS by clicking on http://www.pottersschool.com.

 

An anonymous reader: Life Skills Resources

 

I noticed that among so many high school students was a great lack in some very basic life skills -- primarily, in the financial areas such as budgeting, credit, lease/own/rent, retirement, etc. In life, if a person doesn't understand these things, then they can be easily duped by scammers or can wind up bankrupt from their own foolishness. Skills in

this area will be valuable their whole life regardless of their calling.  A curriculum to cover these valuable areas of life skills is available free at http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/index.php  including tools to send for (under More Resources), downloadable lesson plans, classroom tools to use online, and much more.  We used this for our 2 high schooler students and it was a huge benefit. It taught them far more than I ever could, in an organized manner, and even meets with state

standards for areas such as social studies, math, and language arts. You can check how it complies with your own state standards at http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/at_school/

 

Sharon: Put it Into Practice

 

One thing I have really enjoyed about homeschooling my teens is their chance to put what they are learning into practice.  For example, my four oldest volunteer at an after school program with my husband and me three days a week.  At different times, they do gym, snack, homework, reading circle, board games and computer time with the kids.  My two oldest have done co-op:  my daughter as a teacher's assistant in the school (what a joke - a homeschooler in the classroom) and my son in a produce store.

 

My five oldest have all done paper routes for two different local papers. The four oldest have done computer work for the after school program, the church and my husband's work.  They can do websites, servers (my son) and Power Point.  They take and edit digital photos and video clips.  When I checked our local high school's computer program, it did not seem nearly as detailed; my children do it for fun. We love the freedom of homeschooling. 

 

[Note: Sharon is the mother of 7.]

 

Monica Smithson: A Beka DVDs

 

The high school program we are doing (that I think it's the best!) is the ABEKA DVD program; the DVD's are very well done; the teachers are excellent, also.

 

Christy Herbert: Teens at Work

 

I don't have teenagers but a friend of mine does. One thing that we both have noticed is youth groups in our area seem to be about having fun and not about serving the Lord with any more of serious intent. Her teenage son has a paper route to pay for his braces. It was his choice. When I was a teenager I worked summers detassling corn and then during the year I worked other various jobs. The experience of working and earning my own money has served me well and I believe it will serve my friend's son well. I am not afraid of hard work. There are many teenagers today who have no idea how to work and think that money comes from trees.

 

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A Parent’s Prayer

By Amy Carmichael

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Below is "A Parents' Prayer" by missionary Amy Carmichael.  It is taken from The Heartbeat of The Remnant March/April 2005 issue, and was sent to me by missionary Cora Knight   ([email protected]) in her Manna for Mothers e-mail.  I think it is especially appropriate for parents of teens!

 

 

A Parent’s Prayer

 

Make them good soldiers of Jesus Christ;

let them never turn back in the day of battle.

Let them be winners and helpers of souls.

Let them live not to be ministered to, but to minister.

Make them loyal; let them set loyalty high above all things.

Make them doers, not mere talkers.

Let them enjoy hard work and choose hard things rather than easy.

Make them trustworthy.

Make them wise, for it is written, He hath no pleasure in fools.

Let them pass from dependence on us to dependence on Thee.

Let them never come under the dominion of earthly things; keep them free.

Let them grow up healthy, happy, friendly, and keen to make others happy.

Give them eyes to see the beauty of the world and hearts to worship its' Creator.

Let them be gentle to beast and bird; let cruelty be hateful to them.

May they walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.

And for ourselves we ask that we might never weaken.

"God is my strong salvation" ...

we ask that we might train them to say that word and live that life,

and pour themselves out for others unhindered by self.

Amen!

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