I got out of bed at 2:45 this morning, as I do most mornings, to pour my husband's coffee, pack his lunch, and send him off to work.

The world outside was dark, and my kitchen floor was cold. I could feel the icy air breaking into the house through the leaky door frame.

Chris joined me in the kitchen, and as he put on his coveralls, he called "the weather lady". He set the phone to "speaker", and put it on the counter.

"Good evening," she said (she never says "morning" until it is past the time at which reasonable people get out of bed), "the time is 3--05--temperature--negative--7".


Yikes. The coldest day of the season so far.


He kissed me good-bye, and I handed him his cooler.

"Keep those kids inside today, and try to stay warm..."


I sat on the couch to have my quiet time with the LORD, and then, I crawled back into bed to snuggle my sleeping baby for another hour or two before the rest of the world woke up.

As I drifted off to sleep, I got to thinking...

There are folks who think that, by homeschooling my children, I am being over-protective.

I've been told that my children need to be spending a great deal of time outside of my house, away from me, being exposed to people who think and believe differently than my husband and I do.

And I wonder...

--What would those same people think if I chose to send my children outside today, in the bitter cold, without the proper clothing?


--What if they weren't wearing a winter coat, and hat? No mittens? No snow pants? No heavy socks?  No waterproof boots?


--What if I sent them out after breakfast, and forbid them from coming inside until late afternoon?


--And what if, when questioned, I said that I did all this because I believed that they needed to be exposed to lots of cold air? That not to do so would be overprotecting them?


Would they agree with my logic, or would they implore me to shelter them inside, where it is warm? Would they not admonish me to wrap them up snugly in winter attire before sending them out next time?


The truth is, we live in a world that is cold and uncaring toward our children.


Sending little, fragile souls out into it alone, for long periods of time, without first giving them the covering of a thorough understanding of the Word of God is just as irresponsible as sending them out to play in below zero weather wearing shorts and a t-shirt.


The only real difference is one of time.

We see the effects of frostbite almost immediately.

...blue fingers, noses, and cheeks...Numb toes...that throbbing sensation...


When frostbite is severe, the results can be permanent. Some people feel pain in the affected areas of their bodies every time they are ever out in the cold again, for the rest of their lives. Some people even lose fingers and toes.


The effects of sending our children away from us, to secular caregivers, teachers, and institutions, are more subtle at first. We may not notice the results of the seeds of doubt that are planted in our children's hearts until much later in life, but we will see them. 75-88% of children raised in evangelical Christian homes walk away from Christianity by the time they reach their freshman year of college. Most of the time, permanently.

We reap what we sow.


So today, I'll keep my little ones indoors. I'll dress them in warm clothes, keep the furnace blowing, and feed them nutritious foods to grow their bodies healthy and strong. Another day, I'll wrap them in their winter outerwear and take them outside. I'll bring them back in before it gets to be too much, and I'll give them warm milk, mixed with honey, and cinnamon, and nutmeg to drink.

More importantly, I'll teach them the Bible. I'll teach them what we believe and why we believe it. I'll teach them about the issues of our day and age, at a level they can understand, and I'll teach them how to think critically about those issues. I'll teach them discernment.

I'll take my responsibility to teach, train, and prepare my children in the ways of the LORD seriously.

And when the cold wind blows, and the wolf comes howling at our door, by God's mercy, they will fear no evil, for He is with them.


And when they leave my house, and go out into the world, if I've done my job they will be strong and faithful, equipped for whatever the World and the Enemy may throw their way.

By His Grace,


Tiana