When homeschooling your children it is vital to have a primary goal. My husband and I want all our kids to become genuine life-long followers of Jesus Christ. I mean true Christians—not the box a person checks off, but a way of life.

Is this an odd homeschooling goal? I don’t think so. I want them to recognize they are sinners and need Christ’s gift of eternal salvation. I want their hearts so affected that they maintain a Christian lifestyle after they leave home. I want them to be fully prepared for this secular world we live in. I want them to fully know about all the sin in the world and why we must share the gospel message. I want them to be prepared with the full armor of God if He calls them to college. I don’t need the affirmation that all my kids will be college grads; each person has their own calling. My daughters particularly may not need college; foremost I hope each will be prepared to be a wife and mother. I hope my sons respond to the calling to the professional career or trade God has planned for them. With all my kids I hope whatever their calling they will do it to the glory of God. And did I say we pray fervently our kids become Christians? I think I mean I want a family legacy of Christian faith—generation after generation of my descendents to become true followers of Jesus Christ. That is our number one goal. And while I can’t control my children’s choices, I can strive hard to provide the right environment for God to work on their hearts and minds.

So far I’m formally educating only one child, our eldest. Of course we want our kids to have a great academic background—this is part of knowing all about the world. And we can do this in a myriad of different ways. Last August we adopted our daughter from China. The tours were all planned, and in 100 degree heat. One Buddhist temple would have been enough, but this was something I think my kids needed to see. My oldest daughter is a bold young thing. She said, “Mom why would they bow to a statue? This is just so silly. They need to know Jesus!” I was even affected seeing the Chinese worship falsely. It caused an odd sensation in me; it was definitely a flight message. So I swooshed the kids toward the door. I would look up at Buddha and pray to the God of the Bible for the situation. I looked over the people bowing, burning incense, and I’d pray over them.

[Photo: Me holding our youngest just before his first birthday. Josie looking on.]

So far, mission accomplished. I’m glad I was with Josie, and we talked about this, so now she fully understands. She was insulated with my guidance and explanation. We discussed the truth and the importance of sharing the gospel message. And we talked about how we love the Chinese people.

With three biological children, ages 5, 3 and 1, we got so many questions while in China, especially after we met our new 2 year old daughter. “Why do you want her? You have so many children already. They are so beautiful.” This opened the door. “We are Christians, and God has lead us to China for this blessing. God believes each life is a blessing; orphans are a blessing and we are blessed to have her join our family.” They didn’t really get it. Still, “Why?” Little ears were listening.

Now in our nightly prayers Josie’s prayer request, even 10 months later, is that all 1.4 billion Chinese would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

I want my kids to know Christ and make Him known throughout the entire world. But how do I do this? I need them to see the love and grace of Jesus in me. They need to see me in prayer and in the Word. I must know God and show His love. I must let the Holy Spirit guide me in my parenting. I want to affect the hearts of my kids. I want the Spirit to convict them of their sin so they’ll turn to the Truth and the Light. I cannot make them do this; all I can do is exhibit God working in my life and be in prayer over them. There isn’t one parenting expert or teacher that can tell me how to do this any better than just counting on God.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. —Deut. 6:4-9

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