Let’s face it. Homeschooling is challenging. Sometimes it can feel like a major accomplishment just to take a shower and get the breakfast dishes cleaned up before dinner! Most homeschool moms feel the pressure of providing their children with a solid academic foundation ~ but there’s so much more to homeschooling than academics, isn’t there? The truth is that the greatest accomplishment of your homeschooling is to nurture your children in the ways of the One who made them. REAL LIFE Homeschooling is about getting real when it comes to the issues that are unique to homeschooling families, but more important than that, it’s about being reminded why we are homeschooling in the first place. It’s about keeping our eyes on the goal of discipling our children. If you have been or are on the edge of homeschool burnout, if you are wondering why God has called you on this homeschooling journey, or if you just need some honest, real encouragement, this is the one homeschool workshop you can’t afford to miss!

As soon as you have your first child, you have been automatically enrolled in Family Relationships 101. In Deuteronomy 6, God’s simple and effective plan for the family begins with parents loving God with everything in them and having His word on their hearts. When parents have established their own relationship with God and His word, they are equipped to teach their children to love God and His word.

God created marriage and the family. Before Abraham, Moses, or Israel, God instituted the sacred institution of the family. Healthy God honoring families are the foundation for our churches and our culture. Transformation of our institutions begins in the home where each individual is rooted, grounded, and connected to God through the good news of Jesus, who is the cornerstone of a family of faith.

These are tough times for mothers. Internet predators, ISIS, struggling economy, failing school systems—how can we raise our children to be strong in the face of such obstacles? Join Heidi for an hour that will encourage and equip you.

This workshop is Steve’s testimony of the last twenty-five years as the father of a child with special needs. He shares what his family has learned as a result of Johnny’s disability, and the special, rewarding, and joyful role he has played in their lives. Even in the difficult experiences of life, God proved faithful. His grace sustained them and brought good out of their struggles and disappointments.

Tick Tock. Have you ever experienced a series of days, weeks or even months when you felt like you just could NOT get on top of all that you had to do? Have you just decided that it’s either school or dinner? Or maybe you just gave up school and now everyone has matching socks again! Most moms struggle with finding a balance when it comes to homeschooling and staying on top of the rest of your day. Have you ever read 2 Corinthians 12:9? You probably have… it says, “My strength is made perfect in weakness”. Homeschooling reveals weakness … it’s true! And that’s a good thing, because it means you get to give even more glory to the Lord when you graduate your kids and see that they are walking with the Lord. Homeschool mom, if you’re struggling with trying to do it all, you will enjoy hearing some of Heidi’s favorite tips for managing homeschooling and homemaking…and still finding time to fit in “other things” (like alone time with your husband!) This is an opportunity to GET SET FREE from the expectations of others, laugh out loud learn how two words: BE INTENTIONAL can make a huge difference in your ability to manage your home and your homeschool well. Heidi really loves to use acrostics and this is one of her favorites! Bring a friend and leave your preconceived ideas at the door because real moms sometimes serve Cheerios for dinner!

Will uses humor and his personal testimony as a homeschool graduate to encourage parents and children in their homeschooling. He encourages attendees to live a life of service to each other and to God through their commitment to continue homeschooling, and closes with a vision for homeschoolers to excel in all that they do.

For many of us homeschooling our children is one of our greatest blessings. But it is also a lot of work! And what if you as the homeschooling parent also need to earn an income? There are so many of us facing this situation. If you find yourself trying to balance these responsibilities, please join us for this discussion group.

“No Drama, Mama!” Come away and learn to blunt the strife and struggle that can bring unwanted drama into your relationships. The Lord wants you to find peace in the most important relationships that surround you. Using examples from her own life, Heidi will show you some things you *might* be overlooking in your relationships with others, including when to speak up, and when to be quiet.

Sometimes the most important lessons our children learn are not acquired from a textbook or class but from how we relate to them in our daily interactions and what we teach them about God’s character. Let’s take steps to insure that the message we convey to our children is biblical, gospel oriented, and imbued with grace.

For The Good Ship Home Education, it can be smooth sailing through the seas of life with a crew of happy, contented children. But the seas soon grow choppy when one of your crew declares a mutiny. And the seas turn absolutely turbulent when one of your young sailors abandons ship altogether. It is heart breaking to watch your son or daughter embark and set sail on a course you know to be less than desirable. What’s a parent (or grandparent) to do? We will expose some myths about perfect parenting, identify some do’s and don’t’s, and offer some hope and encouragement for heavy-hearted homeschoolers.

Steve relates insights he has gleaned from scripture on how God has designed our wives and ways that we can lay down our lives and apply biblical principles to build them up and encourage them in the Lord. When we lose our life we find it.

Arguably the most profound change in America in the past 50 years has been the deconstruction of the family unit. The foundational building block of 4000 years of world culture and 250 years of American society has been undermined, underappreciated and under attack since the 1960’s. Learn how to put down the kind of strong roots that will help you become an “intentional arborist” as you nurture the strong family that you desire-and that your children need. Learn how you can nurture nurture what’s important and learn to ignore the flurry of cultural foolishness that we all-too-often mistake for what’s really important.

The basis for building relationships in your marriage and family is healthy communication. In this workshop we will learn six techniques for speaking with clarity, listening with understanding, and how to operate in an atmosphere where parents and children feel safe and valued.