As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Thursday, August 15, 2019

Our Last Homeschool Graduation


And just like that . . . Bekah completed thirteen years of (home)school. 

(It really did seem "just like that.") 





I am still catching up here on the blog. Graduation was over two months ago, but it took me so long to finish my wedding posts . . . 

I am probably giving you whiplash with all of this time travel. But my youngest child's graduation is too big a milestone not to record it here in the annals of Thinking About Home!



When the wedding was over, there was no time to waste!

Bekah and her friend Grace were graduating on June 8 (exactly three weeks after wedding day), so planning began in earnest. (Preliminary planning had already begun, but now it was time for action!) On Monday, we ordered graduation announcements.



We finalized the details of the ceremony, planned the menu, and went shopping for decorations. Grace's sister Lydia was creating slide shows for the two graduates, so we also needed to gather and select photos. Bekah and Grace met to design a program. I asked my friend Terri, who also did the flowers for Kati's wedding, to create an arrangement for the graduation. (Not only did she create a lovely arrangement using Bekah's graduation announcement for inspiration, but she gave it to Bekah as a graduation keepsake! Thanks, Terri!) All the while, we were cramming in that last bit of school work required for graduation! Oh yes, it was a busy time!

By God's grace, we got it done. It was all hands on deck as we did the last minute set-up and then dear family and friends began to arrive to celebrate this milestone in the lives of these beautiful girls!






Andrew surprised Bekah by arriving in his full academic regalia, bringing a little pomp and circumstance to the occasion! 


There were congregational hymn: "Be Thou My Vision" and "To God Be the Glory." Bekah's nieces and nephews sang "He Will Hold Me Fast." 


The parents of both graduates spoke about the girls and then presented them with their diplomas. (I have included the text of my talk at the end of this post.)




The slide shows were precious, a tableau of photos from babyhood to the present. Here is Bekah's:

(If it seems to jump right into the middle, it is because I have edited the title frame from the slideshow video due to the fact that I don't share any last names or any identifying information on the blog. Other than that, it's all there!)







Ron and I with our four homeschool graduates!

We took a photo of Bekah with her nieces and nephews!
(Because of the laws regarding foster care, I had to blur the sweet faces of the twin boys.)


It was a whirlwind for sure, but Bekah and her friend Grace, as well as both families, were so pleased with the beautiful graduation service! These girls have worked hard, and both are accomplished young ladies! 




And so after twenty-eight years of homeschooling, that part of my life has come to an end. It is bittersweet. But I am grateful for the years that I have had with my children, to teach, guide, inspire, grow, advise . . . and to just be with them. I wouldn't trade that time for anything in the world! 



My speech . . . 

At age 40, after a period of serious illness, I became pregnant. Although we had hoped for another child for years, this certainly seemed like the “wrong” time. It was a difficult (scary) pregnancy. I was on several medications. There was a crisis day when we believed that the baby was not going to make it. My doctor sent us for an ultrasound which showed the baby alive and well. She was born seven weeks prematurely, and she had some challenges in the first weeks and months of her life.

But here she is today at her high school graduation. God had a plan for Rebekah’s life.

There is a word in the Bible that I love. It is Ebenezer and it means “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Let me give you a little background. After a series of battles with the Philistines, Samuel had called Israel to repentance and they had responded. They gathered at Mizpah...they fasted, they confessed their sin, and repented.  But as they were gathered, word came that the Philistines were again coming against them in battle. They called out to God, and Samuel offered sacrifices. The Lord answered with a "great thunder" that confused the Philistines, and Israel soundly defeated them.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

I see this special day, this ceremony, as an Ebenezer, for as we mark this occasion, we are looking back and acknowledging that He has directed.  "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

Not only did the Lord help Rebekah as a baby, but He helped her as she grew. He planned who she would be and how she would serve Him.

He gave her a love for beauty. She loves great literature and pretty dresses, home décor and pretty tables. She went through a phase where she wanted me to make “dear little lunches,” and she cut out pictures of pretty food from the Pottery Barn Kids catalog. She loves poetry and old movies and Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

He gave her an ear for music and a song in her heart. Kati taught her to play a Christmas carol on the piano when she was six, and she has never stopped playing. There was the one day when we went to the local playground and I heard the chimes in the playground ringing out Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and I knew our Rebekah was playing. She learned to play classical music which is beautiful and soul-stirring. Oh, but the hymns. Many is the time when I have asked her to play a hymn and then another and then more as we sang along, hearts moved, tears flowing, souls encouraged.

“Thus far, the Lord has helped us.”

He made her heart tender. Toddler Rebekah was a character and her sin nature was strong. She had temper tantrums and meltdowns and she challenged everything that we thought we knew about parenting. But then we saw glimpses of tenderness . . . towards animals, towards babies, towards others . . . and we knew that the Lord would draw that tender heart to Himself. Now Bekah is for the underdog, she adores her nieces and nephews, and, most importantly, she loves the Lord and seeks to please Him.

“Thus far, the Lord has helped us.”

As a homeschooling mom, I needed the Lord’s help! In some ways, Bekah was the most challenging of my students . . . perhaps because she is the most like me. The two of us struggle with procrastination and time management. We’re both slow. We can dawdle our way through our days. It was not unusual for Ron to come home from work to find us still reading, or to find Bekah working on her math or some other project.

But the Lord did help us. As we sought His help, He guided our steps, helped as we planned our courses, provided opportunities for Bekah to learn and serve in unique ways. In spite of ourselves, Bekah is a young woman who is accomplished and responsible and has deep faith in Jesus.

I really can hardly believe we are here, at the end of this leg of the journey. At the end of your homeschooling years, Bekah.  At the end of my homeschooling years. Oh, how I have treasured these days and all of the time we have spent and learned and grown together.

Bekah, I know that the future is still unsure for you and you still have hard choices and decisions to make. But I am not worried. Our loving Father knows your future and he will continue to help . . . one step at a time.

“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (II Timothy 3:14, 15)


Ron's speech . . . 

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 

We began our homeschool in September of 1991, and as of yesterday, we completed our 28th year of training our children in the way they should go. 

For us, this has been a great experience. Not only have they learned many things, but we have learned many things as well. 

What does it mean to train up a child? One commentator says that to train up a child refers to the total process of molding a child’s life. The word “train” comes from the root word meaning “to put into the mouth,” which implies the idea of conditioning the palate. Thus, potential training should help children develop a taste for the things of God. “When he is old” simply means “when he is grown up.” The verse stresses the single principle that education in the home forms the person throughout their lifetime.

As we stand here today, we truly feel that Bekah has been trained in the academics as well as the ways of God. We have no regrets and feel that we have prepared her for the rest of her life. Though this is the end of her schooling from us, she has the skills to continue to learn for the rest of her life. 

To us, a child is a wonderful gift. With this gift comes a great responsibility. Who better can teach and train a child than we parents? We thank the Lord for all of His blessings.


32 comments:

  1. Congratulations! A beautiful graduation and speeches!

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  2. Warm congratulations to Bekah and also to her amazing parents. It is no small thing to commit to homeschooling.

    The video was wonderful and I admit to needing a tissue. I am such a sap.

    Will be praying for direction for the way forward in agreement with your “God has a plan” faith statement. He does! Oh, yes, He does.

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    1. Thank you, Vee, for all of your encouraging words and especially for your prayers!

      Oh, don't you think pictures do that to you, especially if beautiful music accompanies? I cry every time I watch it! (Of course, she's my baby. 😢)

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  3. Congratulations and what a loving, beautiful graduation ceremony. Job well done on your part of homeschooling your four kids.

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    1. Thank you, Lorraine! It was a celebration of many years. God is faithful!

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  4. Cheryl, I'm with Vee in needing a tissue. What a beautiful celebration of the commitment you and Ron made to "train up a child in the way he should go." Congratulations to your darling Bekah! I'm sure we will be hearing more greatness to follow as she continues God's path for her life. ♥

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    1. Awwww . . . it touches my heart to see that my friends are moved by our family's joys! Thank you for your encouraging words!

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  5. Wow 28 years that is dedication. How wonderful for you and your children. Is Bekah planning to attend college?

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    1. Michelle, it was a joy to me to homeschool! Bekah is still considering her choices and may attend college in the spring semester.

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  6. Congratulations my dear friends! You enjoyed the beauty of homeschooling and lived it fully! Bekah is a lovely young woman, and I have full confidence that God will guide and direct her steps.

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    1. Thank you, Deanna! It has been a wonderful way of life (as you know) and God has been gracious! Thank you for the encouragement for Bekah. I will relay your words to her.

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  7. Cheryl it is hard for me to put into words what I am feeling after reading this post, You have always been such an inspiration to me, I have always had so much admiration for parents who take the time to willingly sacrifice their time, and heart to train, and teach their children not only academically but in the ways of the Lord!
    Congratulations to Bekah, you and Ron on a job well done, I wish her so much joy and happiness which she so richly deserves!
    You and Ron, have and will continue to reap the dividends of all the investments you have made. Now dear Lady take some time and enjoy these rewards.
    I ask the Lord to continue to bless and keep you.
    Much love,
    Sue

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    1. Much love back to you, Sue! Your sweet words go straight to my heart! I thank you for always being an encouraging voice!

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  8. Congratulations to all! Such precious years. And I agree, just BEING with our children through all those years is the greatest blessing!

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  9. What a wonderful graduation ceremony. Loved watching the video and reading your tribute for Bekah's graduation. Very special indeed and one of the best graduation speeches I've enjoyed. Well done on all those years of teaching and training. Congratulations to Bekah and you and Ron, too.

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    1. Thank you for all of your kind words, Ellen! It was so rewarding to teach (and learn with Bekah) and her older siblings!

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  10. Aww, how sweet of you and your husband to send along your wonderful words. Precious memories you have made. And your new son in law is a big hit also to your family!

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    1. We are so grateful for those memories! And yes, Andrew is a very welcome new member of our family!

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  11. Many Happy Congratulations to both you (Mamma) and Beka!!!! Praise God for His grace that sees us through <3!!!! Thank you for lettin us get to see the slide show and speeches!! Just precious!!! Journey on Cheryl!! I am thinkin my last will graduate this year. It is odd to think after SO many years what I will do (it will be 27yrs)!!!! Let us seek to serve the Lord with all our hearts, HE will direct our paths!!!

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    1. I was happy to share this wonderful occasion and bits of our heart.

      Thanks so much for those words of encouragement, Tammy!! It is definitely an odd place to be . . . ending a journey, a lifestyle, that has lasted so long and is such a part of who you are! You're near to the end and you're feeling it too! I take your challenge to seek the Lord and let Him direct our paths!!

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  12. I was so inspired by the speeches! Thank you so much for sharing this!

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  13. Loved reading this! And congratulations on your retirement from homeschooling. Well done, mama! "Your children will rise up and call you blessed." Bekah is a beautiful young woman and it will be interesting to see how God will use her in the coming years. My mother's extended family's motto was Ebenezer ... they have photographs of them all around an Ebenezer sign and I have a cross stitch on our wall with the word. My great-grandfather preferred interpreting it as "hitherto has the Lord done it all!"

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    1. Thank you for all of your kind words, Dotsie! I remember that Ebenezer is an important word for your family, and I love that you have a photo with them around the Ebenezer sign! What a treasure!

      God is so good to us!

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  14. Cheryl, I didn't realize that you'd been at this homeschooling for THAT long--28 years--incredible! What a gift to your children. Enjoy your retirement!

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    1. Thank you, Jean! NO regrets for the years invested . . . in fact, I feel very blessed that I had that privilege!

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  15. I'm sitting here with chills and a tear trying to sneak out of my eye after reading your and Ron's speeches...there is so much love here. What a stunning beauty, from a tiny infant to the young woman she is today...kind of an "old soul", I am guessing too. Congratulations to your sweet baby girl as she moves on to the next chapter. And to you and Ron, well done!

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    1. Yes, Bekah is definitely an "old soul"! She is such a blessing to us! Thank you for all of your kind words and for sharing the emotion of the day with us!

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  16. Those years go slowly fast :) I homeschooled our kids also but that ended in 1998. Seems so long ago now. We now have 5 grandchildren and they all love the LOrd. Congratulations to you, Ron and Bekah. Seems like I've watched her grow up on this blog.
    Nannie

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    1. "Slowly fast" is a good description. What a wonderful testimony that all five of your grandchildren love the Lord . . . and what a blessing!

      Thank you for the warm congrats and for letting me know that you have watched Bekah grow up here! It's such fun to know that others are walking along with you!

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