What do you need right now?
Pressures run high at Christmas. But the season of Advent is coming first —that season when we wait in hopeful expectation for Christ. Take a deep breath for Advent and see what the Lord will do to meet you.
Continue readingI'd love to help alleviate some of your Christmas stress. I learned this lesson the hard way. I had to first have a stressful Christmas in order to learn how to have a no-stress Christmas. Let me share a story so you know where I am coming from.
Continue reading
What does church history have to do with Christmas? Well, for one, it tells us that Santa Claus did not originate as a way for Macy’s to sell more jewelry in December.
Though the historical record is sketchy, we think that The Real Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 300s. He might even have defended the doctrine of the full divinity of Christ at the Council of Nicea, though that might just be legend.
This little tidbit gives us a taste of what church history is like: it sheds light on our modern traditions, worship styles, and how we talk about doctrine.
The idea of Santa Claus, for example, didn’t pop out of thin air. Even the very notion that Christians should or could celebrate Christmas is something that our predecessors wrestled with before accepting it into common practice.
Far from a dry list of dates and names, church history is the story of people trying to follow Jesus and figuring out what that means for their doctrines and how they live in the world.
It’s the story of how the Gospel spread from a tiny Jewish community in the Middle East to the largest faith in the world. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but it sure has been interesting!
So if you’d like some fascinating fodder for Christmas school this year … or if you’d just like to learn some interesting history with your children this season, why not dig into a little Christmas history? The Saint Nicholas link above also includes intriguing short articles on the origins of Christmas trees and why we celebrate on December 25 instead of, say, May 20.
But aside from curiosity’s sake, why should we teach our children about historical Christian figures and the old councils of the church?
I believe our children deserve to know the broad strokes of Christianity’s past. I want our children to know
I want children to see their lives in the context of the bigger story God is telling. We live in the exciting chapter between when Jesus came to earth the first time and when he returns. We are co-laborers with Christ to bring his work of redemption, truth, love and healing to the world!
Sonlighters naturally pick up church history along their way as they read missionary biographies throughout the years. But the real depth comes in high school, with Sonlight 200: History of the Christian Church as we spend a dedicated year looking at world history through the lens of church history.
Even if high school is years away for your children, I encourage you to skim the description of Sonlight 200 to get excited about why we tell our children the story of our faith. Let’s let them know how Jesus of Nazareth has truly changed the world forever.
Each kit comes with a novel, discussion guide, activity ideas, recipes, and many of the craft supplies you'll need.
I am a lover of all sorts of music (old and new, different styles), but I especially enjoy listening to tried and true musical arrangements and researching the stories behind them. When you are going through hard times at Christmas, it brings much comfort for Christmas to listen to hymns of old. The messages found in them are of hope, despite the hard times.
Continue readingThe Christmas season is the perfect time to curl up on the couch with some great Advent books. When the weather outside is frightful, you can make your living room seem bigger by exploring new places and meeting new people through the pages of a holiday story.
Continue readingI have very fond memories of cutting paper snowflakes around our dining room table the weekend following Thanksgiving. This was just one of many traditions that wound their way through our holidays every year. In addition to holiday decorating traditions, many families add Advent activities to the weeks leading up to Christmas. What a wonderful way to add depth and understanding to the true purpose of your holiday celebrations.
Continue reading
We are excited to announce our ongoing series: Sonlight Spotlight. Each month the Sonlight team will choose a current family to highlight by sharing their #sonlightstories. If you’d like to shine a light on your family, apply here for a chance to be featured.
Sonlighters and former US Military members, Sam and Angel Wilson along with their three children, Blayne (12), Briar (10), and Hannah (8) are currently working on HBL D. This adventurous family of 5 from Michigan has been using Sonlight for the past 8 years and plans to continue through graduation.
After the Wilson's left active duty and were living in a new location, the thought of homeschooling was appealing as they were not settled into their permanent housing. Angel states:
"I chose Sonlight because a friend recommended it. I’ve always loved books but disliked planning. We had three kids 5 and under when we started, and I needed a curriculum that I could open and teach."
The fully-prepped lesson plans weren't the only reason the Wilson's loved Sonlight.
"I also loved the payment plans. As we adjusted to our new way of life outside of the military, those payment plans really made homeschooling affordable and a reachable resource for us to use." - Angel Wilson
Learn more about Sonlight's Payment Plans here.
Often homeschool parents don't feel equipped or stumble to teach out-of-the-box learners. The Wilson's feared they were not qualified to teach their kids when first diagnosed with learning disabilities. The Sonlight Blog and resources provided the advice and encouragement they needed to not only homeschool but to thrive!
Homeschooling with Sonlight has provided stability for all three Wilson children while going through Michigan's IEP and learning disabled home education requirements. With long drives to daily therapy appointments, homeschooling provided a the opportunity to stick together as a family, and Angel has been able to advocate for her children.
"I think if they were to be in (public) school, it would have been too stressful for all of us. Homeschooling provides a light at the end of the tunnel."
Each Wilson kid works through their own individual Math, Science, and Language Arts program but works as a team on History/Bible/Literature D. Some of the Wilson's favorite Sonlight books include:
When asked what advice they'd give other families who are thinking about or currently homeschooling, Angel says: "Enjoy the time! We don’t get it back. It’s such a wonderful opportunity to spend all day with our kids. It’s hard and the days are so long but it’s worth it!"
You can learn more about the Wilson family’s Sonlight experience by listening to their full interview on the Sonlight Connections podcast.
