OK, Lori. :)

I'm glad you understand. I think the confusion, on my part, comes from the fact that you could have easily stated what you just stated either in your original post or a lot earlier in the conversation. This would help to balance the post - and posts similar to it -, in my opinion, and there is a good chance you might not get as many reactive comments, too.

I really do believe you will have more people open to what you have to share if a balance of truth and grace can be found.

I still am having a problem with what you teach here. You are telling me that public schools are evil - yet, that I should submit to my husband that my children go, and that I should live in subjection to my unbelieving husband without a word by my godly behavior. (I have memorized 1 Peter 3:1-6 by the way....you should see that part of my Bible, it's seriously tattered, lol). When my husband started leading us to send our oldest to public school, I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I was standing in my kitchen, I remember the details of that moment. Trust me, I prayed. I had seen God change the mind of my husband to be open to me homeschooling. I had prayed for months before I approached my husband with that request and God honored it. Now, I was in a different situation. I prayed this time, also, that God would change my husband's heart, my son's heart, etc. He did not. But, He did change mine. I had a peace as my son started public school that I know was and is from God. If He had not changed my heart on this issue, I would be living in constant fear and worry, and would be tempted to be bitter toward my husband for this decision.

Anyway, God is good. All the time. He is in control of it all. Sorry we seem to be talking past each other here. I hope my comments might offer some grace and hope to others who are in my situation. God is not bound by statistics or polls. When you read an article such as this, please do not be filled with fear or believe that your child's salvation is hopeless. It is not. Lori is right, with God all things are possible!

Lori, I thought that in my email to you and in further comments I've made that I had expressed myself clearly enough that I don't have a problem with you "sounding the alarm". I merely asked for some balance and grace to be included in a post like this.

I guess my points are not well taken or understood. I'm sincerely sorry that that seems to be the case.

"I have reread Lori's post. She was warning people, and at no point condemned or blamed. If I think her warnings are mistaken or that there are errors of fact in her post, that is very different from assuming that she is attacking me as a mother (or attacking the old me, who was a teacher)."

I never felt Lori was attacking me as a mother or person.... I simply said the post stirred up some things and so I spoke to those points. I thought that was OK to do in a forum like this. I think that the points I spoke to *were* talking about what I saw as errors (the scripture taken out of context and the idea that seemed to be implied that those who public schooled were at greater risk for walking away from the faith, which is a view I don't hold to). Maybe you are reading into some of my comments things that simply aren't there. It seems that even again, you've now implied that I felt attacked personally somehow and that's where my responses are coming from.

I won't speak anymore to this issue; I did feel that I should let you know that your words were offensive, but I can see that an ongoing back and forth about this will be fruitless.

Thanks for your reply. After reading over again your comment, I stand by my comment to you stating that some of your words were offensive and lack grace.

There were two of us, I believe, that spoke to the idea that homeschooling wouldn't guarantee a child's salvation. Speaking to that was totally relevant to what is being discussed here because of the nature of the blog post, in addition to the article that Lori referenced. Also, this statement in the post: "Many children being raised in godly homes will be led astray by what the teachers teach."

I still can't wrap my mind around why it was o.k. for you to imply that we "deliberately (???)" misread her post -- even if it was true that we "implied" that Lori said keeping our kids out of school would guarantee salvation. That seems to be the height of what wrong judging is all about, from what I understand about judging wrongly. It's wrongly judging my motives and heart when in reality you have no idea. You also stated that Lori's words were challenging and so some people would react defensively. No, I'm not reacting defensively because of her challenging words. I was simply asking her and others to consider other points - not all people are in the position you all were or are in (two parents in agreement) and there are strong Spirit-filled believers who have not been led to homeschool or keep their kids out of public school. We have to trust the Spirit of God to lead others on an issue that is not spelled out in black and white.

Instead of being open to what another Christian brother or sister said in response to her post, you decided that our responses were "predictable, sad to say."

Thanks for hearing my heart about your words. And, I do pray that you will take to heart what I'm saying.

O.K. Thanks for the reply, although I'm not sure I quite understand if you have considered the fact that not all of your sisters in Christ are in the position that you are. It sounds like you are thankful that your husband took the lead that he did (as well you should be).

In my case, I was homeschooling for several years and my unbelieving husband decided it was time for our older kids to go to public school. So, I'm honoring that....and believing God and trusting God that He has a plan.

Anthea, I am offended by your implication that those who objected to Lori's post deliberately misread her points. I hope you will consider more wisely the words you choose to share publicly in the future as you respond to comments that offer different points of views than yours. I hope you will also consider offering grace even when you see differently.

God bless

Another thought is this....if God leads me through my husband....and my husband leads our family by having our children go to public school.....isn't it God then leading us to send our kids to public school?

My personal belief is yes, He is. That's why I can send my kids to public school in full confidence that God is good, He has a plan and I can trust Him. I can pray for my kids and for their protection, I can pray that God will use this time to show them clearly the darkness and the light. I also can rest in the fact that nothing will thwart God's purposes or plans. If and when my children are exposed to things that are ungodly (and they will be and so will all the homeschooled kids out there, too ....sorry, but that's just a fact of life), I can trust God even in that and ask for His wisdom as I walk through this life together with my children in a broken world.

Btw, I believe God has given me a pretty strong faith in His sovereignty, and I'm aware that not all believers share the same view of His sovereignty. For me, it brings me a lot of peace and comfort in my life to know that God is in control and I do not have to worry and fret about things that can appear to be out of control and look really hopeless.

Children that walk away from the church by the time they reach college age were never true believers to begin with. Again, they might have walked the walk and talked the talk like I did for many years as I grew up. But, I was not a believer, I was just parroting back what I had been taught and it was not real in my life until God graciously opened my eyes when I was 31 and I became a new creation in Christ.

And church (building) attendance is dwindling for many, many reasons with many, many older believers walking away because of problems they see that are real and need to be addressed. I promise it's not because of the younger generation and public schools. :) (Let's not forget that no true believer walks away from the Church...we are talking about meeting in a traditional American "church" setting here....it's very possible that some of these children are true believers who are walking away from church attendance because they are seeing things that are wrong and they won't be part of that - but they are still meeting with other believers in different settings)

Personally, putting aside my thoughts on why church attendance is dwindling, I have no problem with church attendance dwindling. Being a church attender, as we all should know very well by now, doesn't mean a thing when it comes to salvation. It is much better for a person to not be living in false security of salvation than to be thinking that all is well because they were raised in a Christian home, taught theology and Bible verses and learn how to live and act like a Christian should (well, at least on the outside).

If God has to take my kids low, like He did with me, to bring me to a place where I knew I needed a Savior, then so be it. And no, that does not mean that I think parents should use this idea to mean that we don't have responsibility to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And, I also pray that He will be gracious and they will not have to experience hard consequences for their sin. I just don't share the view that you can only raise your kids in the admonition and fear of the Lord by not sending your children to a public school setting. And, yes, regardless of what Anthea shared, I do believe that fear is lifted up more than the power of God sometimes when it comes to talking about these issues. I love that God has given some of you the conviction to homeschool (I homeschooled myself for many years until my husband led us in another direction and am very thankful for that time), but please, please let's not be so presumptuous to believe that God has not led some of His other children to not do that for His purposes. And, please, I implore you all to consider that the way this topic is addressed is pivotal for the unity of the Body which is a witness to the rest of the world as they watch.

"God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He can have mercy on them all."

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen."

(Lori, I hope you will post my comment as I do not think I am publicly admonishing you or anyone, but rather stating my opinions and thoughts that I believe God has led me to over the past years...the appeal is simply an appeal and request, not a personal admonition of you or anyone. Thank you.)

But, isn't it evil to send your children to public school?

I guess what I'm wondering is.....who makes these rules and guidelines that you are referring to in your comment? If it's wrong to send your kids to public school, then why would it be right to submit to my husband if he desires me to do this?

What I'm trying to show here is that this is most certainly an issue that believers have freedom in Christ to see differently on and can be assured that they will be led of the Spirit to make a decision on. Each family is different; situations and circumstances are different.

For those of you who feel very strongly about this issue for your family, that is fine. I have no problem with that - and see very well some of your points. I promise you that I am not feeling convicted (as Anthea suggested in her comment) as I read this blog post. I believe what I am feeling is appropriate after reading this post and especially the comment by Anthea. That feeling is not conviction, condemnation or shame for where I am in my life. If anything, I am feeling more and more assured that God has shown me mercy in my life to put me in the position that He has me in with an unbelieving spouse. Him doing so has caused me to understand that things aren't always as black and white as they might seem at first glance. And He has taught me that grace and compassion for others is a wonderful thing. That He is not limited by statistics or polls or ungodly teaching. That He alone is my hope for my children's and my husband's salvation.