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From Our Family to Yours!

Hi again! We're having a wonderful day here in Illinois, where it seems like Autumn (our favorite season) may be well on its way! We hope your week is starting out great as well!

A few weeks ago, one of our website visitors who was thinking of homeschooling her children contacted us to ask if she was capable of homeschooling. We know from experience that even veteran homeschoolers question their ability to homeschool sometimes, particularly at this time of year! So, we'd like to share a few thoughts that we hope will be helpful to you, either for yourself or to enable you to help someone else.

The short answer is that virtually every parent is capable of homeschooling their children, provided they care about them enough to spend the time and effort to do so. This is an established fact, that is well proven by the many statistics available on the social and academic performance of homeschoolers.

However, a longer and more encouraging answer is that the question itself, "Am I qualified to homeschool?", may not be the best question to ask. Tim Palla addressed this in a recent issue of Home School Enrichment Magazine, when he pointed out the difference between being "qualified" and being "called." If you haven't read the article, it's well worth your time to do so. But in essence, Tim's point is that we all do a lot of things we're not qualified to do, because God has called us to do them and thus our strength comes from Him. So, if God has called you to homeschool - and most of us feel that way - then God will provide the strength, skills, creativity, and everything else we need to do a good job at it!

Realizing the difference between "called" and "qualified" brings a hugely freeing perspective. As the new homeschool year begins, make sure you give each day to God and ask Him to provide what you need, because He's already promised to do it!

Until next time,

God bless,

The Lewis Family
Frank, Kari, Matthew & Jonathan
Home School Enrichment

P.S. We wanted to mention a resource we found out about recently called Homeschool Freebie of the Day. It's put together by a friend of our family, Jim Erskine, and features a free downloadable resource every weekday. In fact, we'll be offering a free report that will be available this coming Thursday. We encourage you to go take a look, and sign up!

You know the advantages a student gains by learning a foreign language, and as reader of Home School Enrichment, you know about Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3. But do you know how Rosetta Stone can benefit your students? The New Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3 curriculum is now available for learning 14 languages, and with our unconditional six month money back guarantee, the investment in your students’ education is risk free. And until September 30, our best offer of the year. Save up to $100 on the all new Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3! Find out how at RosettaStone.com.

De-Cluttering
Posted in Reports from the Trenches by Cindy Puhek (coloradomtgirl)
My husband has an almost Depression era aversion to throwing anything out that he has passed on to each of our children. That combined with my love of bargain hunting shopping have produced a rather cluttered house... READ MORE | COMMENT

Conquering Fear
Posted in Homeschool Devotionals by Maribeth Spangenberg (maribeth)
I wondered how I had allowed myself to get talked into it. My hands and feet started to tingle, and it became a stark reality of my fear of heights. I quickly turned my attention to the top of the mountain... READ MORE | COMMENT

From Control Freak to Enabler of Self-Scheduling: The Process
Posted in Homeschool Humor by Suzanne Broadhurst (suzmom)
Our homeschooling began with Mama in Charge ... of everything! I made a plan, bought the supplies, tried really hard to follow the plan, and then ... the caterpillar!... READ MORE | COMMENT

Hug Attack
Posted in Tuesdays with Marcia by Marcia Washburn (marcia)
Last spring a reader commented on my Management for Life column in Home School Enrichment. She sent this great idea for building family togetherness. She wrote the following, reprinted here with her permission... READ MORE | COMMENT

One Last Salute to Summer
Posted in Homeschooling and History by Amy Puetz (amypuetz)
Summer is almost over! Will you begin school next week? Perhaps you have already begun your studies. Here is one final idea for summer fun... READ MORE | COMMENT

Featured Article:
My Plan, or His?
By Christa Sterken
There was a time when I thought I could take care of everything myself. Home schooling taught me otherwise. We have been doing this for three years and the lessons learned have been invaluable. I was a take charge, make-a-plan-and-implement-it type of person. Everything follows a plan, period. I felt there was peace in planning, and if things were orderly then there were high odds everything would go smoothly...
Read Full Article | Comment on article

Homeschool Poll:

With the Presidential campaigns really starting to take off in preparation for the election in November, we thought it would be interesting to see how many homeschoolers are using the elections as educational opportunities. Are you? Just click here to cast your vote!

Results From Last Issue's Poll:
Last issue's poll asked, "How would you rate your abilities as a homeschool parent?" The results are below:

Far above average:9.40%
Somewhat above average:26.17%
Just about average:44.97%
A little below average:15.44%
Far below average:4.03%

Just for Fun: Don't be Lazy!

Back to a trivia question this time - can you figure this one out?

When in history was idleness punished as severely as murder, and what English word has arisen from the legal code which included such laws?

Answers in the next issue of this newsletter!

Solution to last issue's Just for Fun:
Last issue's "Just for Fun" asked the following question: Suppose two fathers and two sons go fishing. They catch a small fish, a big fish, and a medium fish. So, how is it that each of them gets to carry a fish home, since only three fish were caught? The answer is that a man went fishing with his son and grandson, resulting indeed in two fathers and two sons going fishing, but a total of only three people.

Need help homeschooling?

For homeschool encouragement, inspiration, practical teaching ideas and real-life homeschool help, look no further than Home School Enrichment Magazine! Each issue features articles written by and for real homeschoolers, guaranteed to make your homeschool easier, more enjoyable, and more fulfilled! Subscribe today and begin experiencing homeschooling the way it was meant to be!