Dear readers,
Today I’m excited to introduce you to Danielle Papageorgiou, who is a guest blogger this week. Danielle has just released her book, Lifeschooling: Learning to Think Outside the Curriculum Box, which serves as a how-to manual for homeschoolers desiring a more relaxed approach, one that helps you see the educational value in everyday life and focus on developing your child’s God-given gifts … so you can raise a world-changer. Even though I don't traditionally homeschool, my daughter does a virtual charter school, so she has a lot of room for creative flexibility in her schedule. I also believe this book can be helpful for families who do in-person public or private school, for so much learning and instructions happens outside of the classroom, in my opinion. Danielle’s book is available here, and I hope you’ll consider it.
—Jessica Brodie
By Danielle Papageorgiou
“If he calls you to it, he will see you through it.”
Most of us have heard that clever little phrase which, because of the powerful truth it holds, has been spoken so often among Christians that it has almost become trite.
For years, I felt called to write a book about homeschooling. We had stumbled into homeschooling because, as newlyweds living in California at the time, we knew public schooling, with its godless worldview, was not an option for our future children. We also knew a private Christian school would be out of reach for us financially, so the “default” for us was homeschooling.
But that default decision eventually became a passion of mine as we saw the benefit of an individualized education and freedom to allow our children to pursue their gifts, as we were able to disciple them “as we sat in our house and walked by the way” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
Being a writer, I naturally wanted to write a book and share my zeal with the world. Each year, I would think, “Maybe this is the year!” But each year, life would get in the way, and it never seemed to happen.
So many of us have dreams and wishes for our futures. We think if we could only accomplish “X” then we would feel happy and complete. Our dreams are not always bad, but we sometimes don’t understand the path that may be required of us if we truly want to accomplish those big goals.
We want to arrive at “perfect and complete” without all the steps required to get there.
But God’s path to peace and success is a steep incline with rocks and roots ready to trip us up. God’s path looks like this:
Trials > Faith > Steadfastness > Perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
It isn’t enough just to trudge despondently down the path, though. What’s the key we see in Scripture? Joy and steadfastness. We must trust his process and continue joyfully on, doing the work he sets in front of us each day.
What I didn’t realize at the beginning of our adventure was that God was taking me on a longer, more meandering path through our homeschooling journey, bringing us through trials and struggles that were a part of the story he was weaving. Ultimately, they were a part of the story I would be able to share to encourage others.
What he needed from me was to be steadfast and joyful on the journey. And so, by God’s grace, I continued to write my blog, email my followers, and be faithful in my own homeschooling and discipling my kids. All of this occurred through a few years of intense spiritual warfare, continuing chronic illness of two family members, and the daily monotony and struggles of life.
When it was finally time for the book to be born, he made it perfectly clear.
As I woke up early one morning at the end of a fast (which was totally unrelated to writing a book), God seemed to whisper, “Here is what you did, and this is how you can share it in your book.”
So I took a step of faith on that new path— and it would take another complete blog post to share with you all the amazing answers to prayer and God-connections he orchestrated in the months that followed!
The theme verse for our homeschooling (or what I like to call “Lifeschooling”) journey is Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Truly, when we trust God—when we joyfully persevere, serving and seeking him throughout the trials and even monotony of life, knowing he has a plan—he brings it together at the perfect time.
None of my labor was in vain, and looking back, I can see God’s hand in it all. I can see that not only did he want to refine me through trials, but he also waited because he wanted me to have finished at least a large part of my homeschooling journey before sharing.
I now have two successful adult children who love and serve Jesus—evidence in themselves that our method of “Lifeschooling” (which is a more relaxed, gifts-focused, life-integrated style of homeschooling) truly works. God wanted us to be a living example that when we seek his kingdom and his righteousness above all else, he will bless that and “all these things” will be added:
Success in homeschooling.
A family that loves and serves Jesus.
And even the dream of writing a book.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”—James 1:2-4
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”—1 Corinthians 15:58
The author of the new book, Lifeschooling, Danielle Papageorgiou (pronounced “Duh-Neel Pah-pah-jorj-ee-o”) is married to Jon and has three children between the ages of 13 and 23, two of whom are already graduated. She has been homeschooling, or “Lifeschooling,” for 23 years (she counts birth as day one!) and has a passion for helping other parents learn how to homeschool in a way that does not compete with family life but actually enhances it—homeschooling done in a spirit of freedom, not legalism. Through her Lifeschooling blog, resources, and community, she helps moms see the educational value in everyday life and focus on developing their child’s God-given gifts so they can raise a world-changer. Connect with Danielle through her website and Facebook group.
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