We began our new school year in May. We were at the beginning of the history cycle, once again, and I put together my own schedule using a variety of resources - Sonlight Core 6, Tapestry of Grace Unit 4 of Year 1, Truthquest Guides for Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Our Bible studies included an Old Testament survey from Grapevine Studies. This resource took us 7 months to complete. We also studied the life of Christ, in its historical context, along with a reading through the Gospels, and the development of the church.

As our Old Testament studies started to wind down, I felt a need to examine the role Christian Studies and the Bible were playing in our academics - and in our lives. I love Sonlight. Each year, I reexamine their program, and conclude, once again, how full, rich, and well-done they are. The only thing that has really left me feeling unfulfilled was how disjointed the religious studies seem to be.

It is so easy to study the Bible along with Ancient History. My children marvel at the fact that some people leave the Bible out of their studies, wondering how one can ignore its significance and its veracity as corroborated by numerous other sources. As we complete our study of the Middle Ages, and head into the Renaissance and Reformation periods, I am feeling pulled toward a curriculum that does a more deliberate attempt to weave God's Word into our studies.

I am currently using the original version of Tapestry of Grace, Year 2, as my primary curriculum, and it is very good. Almost everything I have wanted in a curriculum. But the time I spend each weekend planning, and scheduling, and photocopying is just too much. As much as I love that aspect of homeschooling, there came a point where I had to ask myself, is this really a good use of my time? And the more I looked at My Father's World Exploration to 1850, the more I felt pulled in that direction. I love how they are known as a truly Christian curriculum. There is no wavering on that ideal. When I switched my little guy over to their first-grade program, I also made the decision to switch the older children. The materials arrived today, and they are wonderful. As soon as we finish SOTW V. 2 we will begin anew.

I do not believe this was a case of "the grass is always greener". Rather, there was a feeling of being unsettled about the direction of our schooling. My children have a deep love and understanding of the Bible, a desire to know more about God's Word, and an innate desire to live Christian lives. The lens through which they view the world is one based on scripturally sound precepts. I feel compelled to build upon that as they get older.