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 It is hard to believe how far home
education has come since my wife and I started homeschooling some
eighteen years ago. We learned much through trial and error as well
as the counsel of godly friends. In spite of our mistakes, we grew
through the process, and our children have become astonishingly
educated.
In our early days of homeschooling there
were few choices in curricula or support groups, and the legality of
homeschooling in Texas was under attack. We literally kept our
shades drawn during school hours. We thank God for the early
pioneers in Texas like Virginia Baker, Kirk McCord, Shelby Sharp,
and others who were leaders in promoting and defending Texas home
educators. They fought for the rights we so abundantly enjoy today.
I am forever grateful for the work they did and do not want to take
this freedom for granted.
This is one of the reasons I willingly
serve on the Board of Directors of the Texas Home School Coalition.
Tim Lambert has taken up the mantle of THSC leadership and fights
tirelessly to keep our Texas home school rights unrestricted. But we
must not depend on Tim alone. Each of us must be ever vigilant if we
expect to retain our freedom to home school in the Lone Star State.
For my family, homeschooling is not merely
a desirable option but an unwavering conviction. I define a
conviction as a strongly held, personal belief rooted in Biblical
principles and guiding every aspect of your thinking and
decision-making. A conviction is part of the fabric of your belief
system. It is an unalterable truth you firmly believe is of divine
origin. Convictions compel us to a distinctive lifestyle. We must
do it! We have no other choice but to follow our convictions.
On the other hand, a preference is a
simple desire or want. It is a belief subject to change. For
example, you may prefer that your son or daughter not go to public
school out of concern for their academic development. However, in
the end that thinking will be a weak glue, for it does not get to
the heart of what I consider to be the best reason for
homeschooling.
My wife and I believe that God has given
us, not the government, the responsibility and the authority to
educate our children. God's Word clearly establishes that the mental
and spiritual development of children is to be a parent's highest
priority. The injunction in Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way
he should go..." was not given to public school teachers, but to
parents. It is an awesome responsibility. We parents are charged
with this duty and held accountable for our children’s education.
Scripture is replete with Biblical counsel regarding parental
responsibility for their children's education, like Deuteronomy
chapters 4 and 6 and Proverbs 22. Educational duties can be
delegated to others, but not the final responsibility for
what they are taught. Public or private school teachers--even tutors
if you participate in a homeschool co-op -- are but proxies,
substitutes, surrogates for those ultimately responsible -- the
parents.
Let me give you an example of another kind
of conviction. From our country's inception the founders of our
nation were concerned about the Lord's Day. The Pilgrims on the
Mayflower were blown into Plymouth Harbor and landed on Clark's
Island, right across from the rock where they finally came ashore.
When the storm lifted, it was Sunday morning. They were delighted to
see where they were. They had been at sea for months and months in
crowded quarters. They would have been eager to rush across the bay,
to land and get off the ship, but they did not. Instead, the first
thing they did was to honor the Sabbath Day, to hold a worship
service and praise God. The next morning they landed on Plymouth
Rock. I am sure their preference was to go ashore, but their
conviction placed an internal prohibition on it.
I think of Eric Liddell, the hero of
Chariots of Fire, who did one thing that has made him forever
famous; he refused to run an Olympic race on Sunday--even the trial
race for the final event. God blessed his effort. He ran instead the
400-meter race (which he had not run before), and he won a gold
medal! Of course, later he became a missionary for Christ.
The founding movement of home education
was mostly based on conviction. However over the years, I have seen
people homeschool for many reasons, some which have nothing to do
with conviction. Holding to a conviction sets you apart from those
who are seasonally committed, from those for whom it is a passing
fad. Those with conviction find homeschooling has deep meaning and
purpose, and they are more likely to stay the course and not become
victims of attrition down the road. May I encourage you to consider
your convictions and, having done so, to throw your whole heart and
self into your children's education?
Now let me tell you a little about my
family. God blessed us with some beautiful land outside of Glen
Rose, Texas, which we have named Providence Ranch. Glen Rose is
headquarters for the world-renowned Creation Science Museum, which
incidentally is a great spot for home school field trips. Glen Rose
also is home to Fossil Rim International Wildlife Park, Commanche
Peak Nuclear plant, and the outdoor drama on the life of Christ
called The Promise.
My wife and I have been married
twenty-five years and have seven children. Christie (21) is our
oldest. Since her graduation she has been in pursuit of a wide
variety of opportunities and training that will benefit her in the
future. Presently she is working with me in the office. She and I
are planning to start a local debate club so we can send some
debaters to next year’s state tournament. We hope to meet quite a
few of you there next year. Christie also teaches piano and
ministers as a Gospel chalk artist--drawing a picture and sharing a
Gospel story at the same time. She has had opportunities to draw in
churches, camps, nursing homes, leadership retreats, schools, jail,
city sidewalks, and even other countries.
Karyn (18) graduated last year. She has
been glued to the computer this past semester while enrolled in a
few college courses through a distance-learning program. Her
long-range goal is to apprentice as a midwife and then use this
skill as a ministry to reach out to unwed mothers.
Matthew (15) is in ninth grade and
recently took up a hobby of bee keeping; we are looking forward to
an abundant harvest of golden honey this fall. Matthew is looking
forward to participating in the regional debate club and hopes to
enter in the Texas Home School Debate Tournament in the coming
years. Matthew is a licensed amateur radio operator (KD5IIN).
Nathan (11) likes facing challenges,
moving about, and learning. If you would search his dresser drawer,
you would find all shapes and sizes of little mechanical gears,
springs and wires, which he has dissected when he is not at the
table working on school with Mom. We look forward to seeing what
God has planned for him in the future and how God will use his
interests for His glory.
Next we have the three little girls who
are growing up all too quickly: Rachael (8), Elisabeth (5), and
Sarah (3). Rachael is learning to take over the family bread making
from her big sister, Christie. Elizabeth finds delight in helping to
do anything and everything, especially cooking. She has the makings
of a real hostess, as she loves to take the initiative to prepare
picnics and tea parties. Sarah's favorite pastime is chasing and
catching chickens to carry around and pet. She is a songbird, so
with her continual reminders we have taken up a new adventure of
trying to memorize some hymns as a family. She has all of us beat in
getting the songs down first.
Cindy is a wonderful wife, mother, and
homemaker. She has really taken to country living and enjoys
gardening and working with animals. Of course, she spends a good
percent of her time teaching the children, cooking meals, and
parceling out hugs and kisses. She is a rock to which the family
anchors.
Finally, I wear many hats which include
being a father to seven children, serving as pastor of small church,
serving as a consultant for Character First!, writing, public
speaking to homeschoolers, counseling, and ranching. My
responsibilities with THSC include chairing the Leadership Support
Committee that oversees the state debate tournaments, the annual
regional leader's retreat, and some of the publications of THSC.
God has certainly provided the strength
and guidance we have needed over the years. Home schooling our
children in Texas has been a delight, and we thank God for the
privilege to participate in this holy calling.
May God bless you as you consider your own
convictions and serve God in raising your family,
Ray Ballmann
(This article is from 2000 and the
picture from 2005.) |
