Congratulations! You’ve made it through half the school year! Of course, by this time, you might be feeling a little like doing this …

Cartoon by Todd Wilson, familymanweb.com

All right! We won’t graduate them all — at least, not yet! But as you round the bend into the the next few months of the homeschool year, let me offer a few words of encouragement …

1. If you’ve sought the Lord about your decision to homeschool, be assured that He will give you strength for each moment. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:2). Of course, there are many days I’d like a supply of grace for the year or at least a week! But then I wouldn’t have the moment-by-moment need of abiding in Christ. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
2. Even if your children were to learn nothing from homeschool (which probably isn’t the case at all!), remember that just watching you walk through life — dealing with relationships, messing up and asking for forgiveness, and growing in the Lord — is the most important thing they’ll ever walk away with. And as you daily point them toward Christ, you’re making an impact that will last not only the rest of their lives but also for eternity!
3. Don’t forget, the beauty of homeschooling is flexibility! As you prepare to delve back into the last half of your school year, don’t be afraid to tweak things. You might just need that extra half-hour in your schedule for chore time, or an afternoon walk, or whatever. Now’s the perfect time to get a fresh start.
4. Why not take some time to refill and recharge so you can better meet the needs of your family? Our Refresh Ladies’ Day on February 4 is a perfect chance to do just that —  fellowship, fill up on the encouragement, and just recharge for the rest of the homeschool year. I hope to see you there!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

May the Lord bless your homeschool as we enter 2017!

-Julianna Dotten