Last weekend, I went to the homeschool conference in Greenville, SC with a purpose – to be inspired and to choose a Language Arts curriculum for both Wilson and Faith.  If you have never been to a homeschool conference then I can describe it for you in two words: motivational and overwhelming.  There are two parts to a conference…1. speakers   2. the vendor hall.

Each hour at a conference there are ten different speakers that a parent can go and listen to.  The speakers are amazing and motivational.  They are usually professors, brain scientists, or seasoned homeschool moms or dads (or a combination of all three).  I love getting tips from them about how to homeschool many children of different ages, how to handle strong-willed children, or how to better teach math without arguing with your kid.  They are “motivational”.

Now, the vendor hall is absolutely “overwhelming”.  There is a huge gym filled with over a hundred vendors selling games, curriculum, videos, books, etc.  The first time I walked into the vendor hall I just turned back around and walked back out.  It was super intense.  This time, however, I walked in and started to survey the situation.  I knew that I needed some language arts curriculum for my kids.  I have failed them terribly in terms of LA.  We do spelling and handwriting, but I don’t teach them how to analyze books or how to do reading comprehension.  It is not my strong suit.

I must preface this by telling you that over the last week, I had been praying for wisdom.  It says in James 1:5 that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  I trust in that verse and have been seeking God’s wisdom so that I know where to go next.  I took that verse with me last weekend and prayed for wisdom every step of the way.  I prayed about which speaker to go see and which curriculum I should buy.  I knew that I couldn’t do it on my own….I needed God to guide and direct my steps.

I ended up going to listen to a few speakers (one about strong-willed children which was fantastic), and then I hit the curriculum hall.  I found some books about how to play chess, which will be super helpful, if I ever get around to using them.  Wilson loves chess and I need to be able to teach him some strategy.  In the end, I talked to over 5 different curriculum companies, took their pamphlets and then prayed over it all while I ate a few oranges.  I asked God to guide my steps.  I ended up going back over to the Bob Jones table to look at their LA curriculum again.  As I began to talk to one lady, I noticed that there was a girl working there that I knew.  She ran the co-op that I planned to attend a few weeks later.  I talked to her about their virtual learning and was sold.  I spent a pretty penny on that curriculum for Wilson and Faith, but I knew that a teacher on the TV would be significantly better at teaching LA than I would.  I felt as if God had led me to the right booth and put a familiar face at it to help me along.

I knew that God was there with me nudging me along that day.  He knows better than I do what the kids need, and what I need.  Being away for the day and going to the conference was a blessing in, and of, itself.  Being led by the Holy Spirit was another blessing.  I am looking forward to using the new curriculum that I bought that day.  It is greatly needed in our homeschool and I am thankful that I have the ability to buy it and give the kids what they need, and I need.