|
by Paula McCartney
Who would have thought it? A former public and private school
teacher married to a missionary kid deciding that home schooling was
what God wanted for our family. This was not something I would have
ever considered until circumstances put our family in a position of
deciding between teaching in a private school that would give us a
break on the tuition for our two kids or just doing it myself and
cutting out the middle-man. Since I had taught in public school for
six years, I had no desire to send my children there, so that was
not an option for us.
That first year, with the help of several other ladies, I began a
support group that was based in our church. We had weekly classes,
monthly field trips, and monthly potluck meetings for fellowship and
information. The support group, HomeGrownKids of Berean Baptist
Church, still functions basically the same way. We have had as many
as twenty families and as few as five, but we keep going. I have
been the leader for all but one of those years. I expect to still
be the leader when I have to use a cane to get to the library to
teach those eighth through twelfth graders on Fridays.
I have two sons, Marshall Aaron, now seventeen and a senior in high
school, and Byron “Roy,” who is now sixteen and a sophomore.
Neither boy has been in a public or private school. Marshall is
planning to go into the ministry. Roy has yet to decide what God
has called him to do, but he knows he wants to serve God somehow.
Marshall has thrived in a home school environment. He is a witty,
serious-minded, compassionate, and caring seventeen-year-old who is
not afraid to hug his mom in public and to stand up for what is
right. He taught himself to play guitar and plays in the praise and
worship teen band at church, works in AWANA and VBS, does his
schoolwork with little complaint, and actually enjoys it at times!
I delight in the time I spend with Marshall, and I thank God for the
opportunity God entrusted to me to raise this son for Him. And no,
I am not worried about socialization!
When Roy, my youngest, was a little over a year old, we discovered
that he had cerebral palsy. Roy has no use of his right hand and
has a weakened right arm and leg, but he could walk, talk, and
learn, although it seemed he learned a bit more slowly and had some
trouble remembering things. This became a bigger problem around
third grade as the volume of work started to increase, and we began
to realize that he had more learning concerns than we had known. We
have continued to find ways to improve his skills in these areas,
but home schooling has allowed him the time to develop at his own
pace. At age 11, he began to have seizures and was diagnosed with
epilepsy. He continues to take medication to control his seizures.
Earlier this year, we discovered that the damage to his brain is
actually massive—with almost the entire left side of his brain
“disintegrated,” as the doctor termed it. Roy is a walking, talking
miracle of God, and we thank God every day for him, for God’s
watch-care over him, and for His guidance in our lives to homeschool
this witty, wonderful, sweet, compassionate, and loving child! Roy
is also working in AWANA and VBS, is running the sound system for
his brother’s teen band, and is learning the sound system for the
entire church.
In September of 1995, my husband,
Byron (Bud to family and friends), was diagnosed with a terminal
illness and was home on disability from April of 1996 until he
passed away on March 2, 2002. During that time, my boys were able
to sit at the feet of their father daily, something they could have
never done had they not been homeschooled. Bud was able to be there
for all the major ups and downs that children have. He was able to
give them Biblical answers on-the-spot for all life’s difficulties
and decisions. He spent the last years of his life pouring himself
into Marshall and Roy’s lives, as well as the lives of his three
older children from a previous marriage. As I write this, my boys
are on an airplane returning from a weeklong visit with their older
sister, brother, and his wife—all of whom are serving God
faithfully. Their other sister lives in Florida and has our four
precious grandchildren in a great church where their family serves
God faithfully as well. What a heritage this man of God has left
for his children!
Since my husband passed away, the boys and I have been doing well.
We had a rocky first year, especially when I had to return to work,
part-time in January of this year, then full-time in June. The boys
understood, but there were still feelings of abandonment with which
to contend. God provided a wonderful job for me as the
secretary/personal assistant to the senior pastor at our church. I
am able to work from home most of the time. We have managed to get
into a routine that works for all of us, and things are moving
along. We are preparing for the big senior year for Marshall, and
driver’s education for Roy. This will be an interesting year, I am
sure, but aren’t they all?
I am so thankful
that God led us into this home schooling journey. It allowed my
children to spend precious time with their father, and it allowed us
to mold them and lead them to a close relationship with the Lord. I
can honestly say I have never regretted home schooling, although
there were moments when I wanted to chuck it all and move to the
beach! Those were fleeting thoughts of frustration, however, and
not under serious consideration. I would not trade this home
schooling
experience for the world!
Paula McCartney
lives in Houston where she homeschools her sons and serves the home
school community. She is THSC’s 2003 Home School Leader of the
Year. She earned this honor through service to her local support
group. THSC received more than twice the required number of letters
of recommendation from members of the HomeGrownKids support group.
Back to
Leaders of the Year
TOP |
