Imagine a world where school is the only place to learn. You can't learn in your home. You gain no new skills, applicable knowledge or information at work. Church is a place for "fellowship" but teaching is nonexistent. You only learn in school.

Want to be able to do something more? Take a class. You have no other option. Even the internet is devoid of helpful suggestions or personal insights.

School: The only form of education.

Sounds like a great dystopian premise to me.

Thankfully, that is not reality. In the years since we left school we have learned a great deal. Our abilities have developed. Our knowledge base has increased. Our interests have been able to flourish. We may have taken a class here and there. But our learning has occurred elsewhere, for the most part. We have learned at home, at work, at church, with friends and even those who aren't so friendly.

Much of what we learn and use is outside of the classroom.

Film school was that way. The main point was not gleaning knowledge from my professor's presentations. Rather, we learned by doing. We made movies and learned along the way. Our professor's were the slave drivers and mentors. They taught us things, for sure, but most of what we learned was well beyond the classroom.

School is at its best when it is the catalyst for our learning.

That is why homeschooling is such a fantastic option. Home education teaches us how to learn. Learning becomes a natural part of our daily lives. And in so doing we ensure that we never fall into the trap of thinking that "school" is the only place to learn.

It's not.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Interested in learning more about home education options? Check out Sonlight Curriculum.

I spent most of today in my socks. This reminded me of my homeschool days. You don't have to wear shoes if you're doing work in the living room.

But I wasn't in my living room. I was here at Sonlight.

The weather has turned cold and snowy. My normal shoes get unpleasantly wet. So I wore my "work boots" to work today. But I didn't keep them on. It's rather uncomfortable to wear such heavy-duty footwear while editing video in a cubicle.

My Work Boots

Hence, my socks.

As I pulled on my boots I was struck by the power of having the right tools at the right time. My normal shoes are horribly ineffective in winter weather. I could certainly use a plastic bag around my foot as a cheap alternative to waterproof boots. It would do the trick. But my boots have made my life better.

I went for my lunch-time walk and my feet didn't freeze. My footing was sure. My life was easier. And I felt super cool.

Sonlight's Core programs are like my boots. You can absolutely homeschool without them. You don't need Sonlight to package everything together for you. You don't need guaranteed materials. There are other options out there; like a plastic bag in a shoe.

Sonlight offers you tools. Each Core offers a warmth of certainty if you're feeling overwhelmed. It provides a clear and solid path to walk down. A Core can make your life easier. And with all the incredible literature, every Core is super cool.

If the season of your educational needs has changed, remember that you can try--risk free--your pair of "Sonlight boots" for half a school year before deciding if they really are everything you wanted and more...

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

It is Friday morning. You're out running an errand. You pass a little church with a marquee out front. The sign has a cute little saying. You know, something straight out of GodSpeaks.com.

Or maybe not.

Perhaps the message is more abrasive, disturbing or even downright wrong.

Ugh.

The good news is that Matt from The Church or No People just posted an interview with someone who was fed up with such signs [NB: mild language]. Joel's insights are right on the money:

The crummiest thing about the church is that we’re all still in the process of sanctification, and not yet glorified.

I found the interview to be a worthwhile read. I came away with a reminder that I'm still incomplete. I still have a long way to go.

Just like this blog.

I've been a "professional" blogger for almost a year and a half now. I'm missing elements such as meta data (whatever that is). I still haven't figured out why my header looks wrong in IE. And my current blog grade is a failing 26/100.

Incomplete.

We all are. There are opportunities for improvement and progress in every area of our lives: Blogging, friends, marriage, homeschooling...

The beautiful thing is that, much like the little church with the lame sign, we have a community around us. We don't have to go at this alone. We shouldn't. So if you're feeling particularly incomplete today, take advantage of the resources available to you. I'll list just a few.

Luke's Top Five Resources for Homeschooling with Sonlight:

1. Sonlight Advisors
2. Sonlight's Facebook page
3. Sonlight's Forums
4. Homeschool Conventions
5. and, of course, this blog.

We are all incomplete. But by working together we can rest on the strengths of others. We can learn from those who have gone before us. And we can share our insights as well.

I urge you: Get involved!

After five years of posting about poor church signs, Joel has recently become more involved in his church. And he says in his interview that life is awesome now.

And I'll take an awesome incomplete life over an incomplete one.

I'd love to hear your recent homeschool insights, experiences or questions/struggles if you're willing to share!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Sonlight has--to my knowledge--an unmatched guarantee in the homeschool marketplace. Buy one of Sonlight's packages. Use half of it. If you decide you don't love it, send it back. We'll refund you the cost of the program.

Incredible.

In other words: Try Sonlight. We'll cover your "trial run" if Sonlight's not for you.

But I'm interested: Did you find Sonlight's Love to Learn Guarantee helpful? Did it encourage you to try Sonlight? Or does it feel like some kind of "too good to be true" scam thingy? Did you even know Sonlight had such a guarantee?

I'm interested in your thoughts for three reasons:

1. I would love to get some testimonials about this.
2. I'm interested in your thoughts.
3. December 1 brought about some changes...

Don't worry: Sonlight's guarantee is still very much in effect. It's just as strong as ever. But the Federal Trade Commission has enacted some "clarifications" as to how companies--especially company bloggers such as myself--can use comments, user feedback and testimonials.

Unfortunately, for all the buzz I'm seeing about the December 1 "change," I can't find it on the FTC site. Which is more than a little frustrating. So I've been reading second-hand information.

I'd like your first-hand impression of Sonlight's guarantee. I invite your comments.

Afraid to post your comment because of the FTC?

Don't worry. They seem to care about the blog owner, not the commentors. I'm taking the risk. Not you. ...much like Sonlight's Sonlight's guarantee.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father