The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce Part 2

Go here for Part 1 of these posts :-)

The other two books that I've read, that have really stuck with me are definitely Christian books. I finished "When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling": If you're a Christian and are even remotely considering homeschooling your kids....READ THIS BOOK!

What I loved about this book is that it gave you all of the biblical back up as to why, as a Christian, home schooling is for you. Just read Deuteronomy 6, particularly these verses 4-9:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.^a]">[a] ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The one thing that I really appreciated the book for was putting into perspective what people will say against homeschooling as well as what people want for their children. Many, many people will tell you that you're not capable of educating your child(ren), that you should leave it up to the professionals. Biblically speaking it is the God-given responsibility of the parents to educate their children, in life as well as in God.

A question was asked, throughout the book: What do you want for your children? What do you consider to be success? Is it that your child has a good paying job and is considered a "success" by societies standards? Or is it more important to you that your child has a REAL and LASTING relationship with Christ? Because, with that they will find true success in life.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

As a parent, who I know is going to hit a lot of resistance from people about homeschooling (Matt's family and my brother), the last chapter really helped me. It took almost every single negative perception people have about homeschooling and told you why and how to respond to them, supporting each them with the biblical proofs for homeschooling.

I found this book to be extremely enlightening, particularly considering the current political environment that is against private schools (whether home schools, religious schools, or other private institutions). It also addresses the claims that public schools are neutral: That there is no religious, social, or political agenda.

There is no such thing as education without SOME sort of morality or agenda being transferred to the pupil. It is impossible to teach (unless it is mathematics, which is really the only absolute in academia) without skewing what is being taught to support or refute an idea or personal opinion.

I just found this book to be fascinating because of all the information it had in it, about homeschooling, about education, about the Bible, as well as about what do we, as parents, truly want for our children!

Honestly, I would rather raise a child who loves the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might, than someone who is striving for financial or social success and never really succeeding at finding peace with themselves or with God.

And yes, the author even address what you're thinking right now: Education is important, a man being able to support his family through a successful job is important, a woman being able to raise her children in the Lord and respecting those around the is important. Success can be had without God, but it isn't the ultimate success that is worth more than all the wealth in the world.