Making Biblical Family Life Practical

Everyone tells you that homeschooling isn't an educational choice, but a lifestyle! Should we be surprised if we discover that homeschooling has an impact on our marriage? It's true, and if we're not watchful, our marriage could be a weak spot in our family's new endeavor. Hal and Melanie have been married for 27 years and homeschooling for 20, and this week they share some ideas of stumbling blocks to avoid and how you can make both your homeschool and your relationship strong!    

Homeschooling is a great option for families with sons because frankly, institutional classrooms are not very friendly to normal, active, distractible young boys. On the other hand, the same traits which make it hard to teach boys in a schoolroom setting can make it challenging at home, too! This week we talk about how boys learn differently, and how you can work with their particular style to make education both effective and enjoyable -- for them and for their teacher!

So many of us began homeschooling out of conviction that God wanted us to do it. Our commitment can be shaken if we come on hard times. We've homeschooled through job loss, high-risk pregnancy, financial challenge, and stage IV cancer, and we learned it can be done. This week we talk about why you ought to hang on to your convictions, and we'll offer some practical ideas we've learned while Homeschooling In Hard Times!

This is the biggest sports season of the year--the weeks leading to the Super Bowl. Even non-fans get excited about the spectacle to come. But some Christians say that believers shouldn't be involved in competitive sports at all. This week we look at the Biblical view of sports--yes, there is one!--and talk with Earl Pendleton, founder and director of a massive homeschool football program which truly puts CHRIST at the center.

Many of our families received new or updated electronics this Christmas -- they're tremendous fun, and they're useful not only for entertainment but also education, business, household management, and so much more. However, they're also a gateway for many kinds of temptation and trouble if we're not aware and don't take precautions. This week, Hal and Melanie talk about the good, the bad, and the issues surrounding our increasingly digital lifestyles ... and what we can and should do to keep our families safe from the dangers that lurk onscreen.  

So it's the time of year to reflect and make resolutions. Or is it? This episode, we look at the question whether Christians should consider "New Year's Resolutions" (and why we think it's a reasonable, Biblical idea), and we share some neat ideas which make this an annual don't-miss event for our whole family! Links You May Find Interesting Billy Graham's Q&A page on the subject Jonathan Edwards' resolutions Woody Guthrie's somewhat different resolutions Some notes on our annual family review and brainstorm meeting Why Hal keeps a journal, and some things which make it even better

Join us for this year's caroling party - recorded live in our home with 35 of our friends! We'll talk about the Christian origin of the Christmas tree (yes, it is!), share two of our favorite recipes, and sing, sing, sing!

It's a strange time of year, when people gather on Thanksgiving to appreciate what God has given them, then the next morning rush out to fight over their next acquisitions. No wonder some thoughtful people--Christians and otherwise--decry the materialism of the holiday shopping season! Yet it's quite Biblical to celebrate special days with gifts. How can you still enjoy the process of choosing presents for friends and family, without giving in to the greed and expense of commercialized Christmas? This episode, we share experience and ideas for choosing creative, worthwhile gifts that build character without breaking your budget!        

Many of us set out to homeschool our children like pioneers leaving for the vast, open frontier. Sometimes the parents who raised us are anxious about the decision--"What are you doing with my grandkids?"--and sometimes they want to help. And why not? Join us as we talk with Rich and Barb Heki, the founders of Grandparents of Homeschoolers, and Michael and Gayle Back, veteran homeschoolers and grandparents who are doing incredible things to stay connected in the lives of their adult children and their homeschooled grandchildren.  

We've probably cooked 75 turkeys or more in the course of our marriage, not to mention setting up about 40 Christmas trees and celebrating no less than 168 birthdays together. Traditions are important, and feasting is Biblical! But sometimes our celebrations can be stressful or even filled with conflict. What can we do to center our holidays on the One Who's "The Reason for the Season"--and have a lot more fun, too? Listen Now: Resources mentioned in the show: We Gather Together: Sanity and Celebration at Thanksgiving by Hal and Melanie Christ-Centered Christmas: The Ultimate Guide To Celebrating A Christmas Your Family Will Never Forget by Hal and Melanie Grandparents of Homeschoolers    

  This week we talk with HSLDA's Mike Smith about the importance of the Parental Rights Amendment, and with Rick Boyer of "Take Back The Land" about why we need to teach leadership in our home schools. These interviews were recorded at the HSLDA National Christian Homeschool Leadership Conference in Ellicott City, Maryland, in September.        

This week, we talked with veteran pastor and author Dennis Gunderson about sharing the gospel with your children. What goes into effective family devotions? How early can a child really believe and be saved? And what if you see the fruit of repentance and faith--but your pastor may be skeptical? Join us for this encouraging, thought provoking, and critically important program!  

The culture seems totally adrift on the concept of real, Biblical manhood--and it's having an impact on boys and young men, even in our own families! God has plans and expectations for our sons, but the manly virtues we want to see when they're grown are mighty challenging in the immature, untrained form we see in our boys. Join the parents of six sons as they talk about practical ideas for cooperating with God's design and not just surviving, but enjoying, raising "real men" for His kingdom!