My Christmas - CAPE Convention 2018
This was written back in 2018. Four years later I still attend CAPE convention and am humbled and privileged to be a workshop speaker. I still learn every year and am encouraged and equipped in my homeschool journey. For Tim and I, the CAPE Convention is a highlight of the year. There is only one perfect parent, so for the rest of us the Christian Association of Parent Educators is with us every step of the way!
When I was a kid I hated when the Christmas season was over. The excitement of preparing for the day, the parties, musicals, decorations and food. All of it was such a wonderful time for me. So when it was all over I was sad. I hated taking down the tree. Even the bare malls and stores without all the decorations made me a little sad. Having to go back to school and back to a regular routine was boring.
Tim and I don’t buy each other Christmas gifts. As homeschool parents our “Christmas” time is a little different. There aren’t decorations, but there are banners and signs. There aren’t presents under the tree, but there are books everywhere! There aren’t parties, but there is fellowship with like-minded people. There isn’t the great food, but the spiritual nourishment is wonderful and sustains us for the whole year.
As I lay in bed the other night completely exhausted, I told Tim, “I am sad it is over. It went by so fast.” The CAPE convention takes place every year at Legacy church. It is a time of refreshment, equipping, and encouraging. My husband and I look forward to every year.
GENERAL SESSIONS
Phil Tuttle, President of Walk Through the Bible and pastor was one of the main speakers. He has traveled all over the world. He spoke on culture and generations throughout the whole weekend. His sessions built on one another so Tim and I took turns going to them so that we would not miss anything.
What do culture and generations have to do with homeschooling or parenting? Well, we still have to live in the world around us. We can’t ignore what is going on. Trends, ideas, and politics affect us. The problems around us and the ideas circulating shape the word we live in. Our culture needs hope. Phil Tuttle used the Biblical example of Josiah. Josiah’s father and grandfather were pretty evil kings. Israel was on a downward spiral. When Josiah was only 16 years old, God’s word was found. Josiah was transformed by God’s word. He repented, tore down the idols and led a revival for the nation. “As the king goes so does the nation.” Understanding the different generations’ characteristics matter. Their strengths can be utilized for change. Their weakness led to repentance. “Social reform is rarely sustainable without spiritual renewal. There is a real difference between behavior modification and character transformation.”
Phil gave us hope for how change can happen. It was so practical and something anyone can do whether you homeschool or not.
Think Biblically, Think Globally, Think Historically
By getting a better perspective on our culture and our problems we can begin to affect change. Teach the Bible and we get a better idea of God’s ideas of culture and generations. The Bible gives us the solution to cultural and social problems. Think globally by teaching geography, world cultures, missions, missionaries, different languages. Expand your kids’ thinking beyond American Idol, Saturday soccer, and the next birthday party. What is going on in Africa? What do they eat in Japan? What do they believe in Iran? There is more to life than what goes on in America. Think Historically means going beyond the now. What happened in the past? What ideas do we have now that came before us? What mistakes are we repeating? What events can we learn from? A study published last week showed that 60% of millennials don’t know what Auschwitz was. History teaches us social and cultural lessons.
Phil Tuttle ended with speaking about the future of culture and generations. If we want to effect any change we must leave a legacy. “A legacy is not determined by milestones but by daily moments. What is your legacy?” he challenged us. Psalm 78 :5-7 says, “That they should make them known to their children; that the generations to come might know them. That they may declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments." His final challenge was to end well by preparing the next generation. If we are not equipping and preparing the next generation we have failed. We must learn to communicate and understand the next generation. “There is no success without succession.”
Friday morning we got up early, threw the kids in the car with jammies on, and sent them to grandma's for the weekend. This was the first year we made it before the worship started, (they had technical difficulties and started late). Many of us worship on Sunday morning at church. But stopping during the week to worship with other believers is amazing. Taking time to take a break and just focus on the Lord was so refreshing!
The Keynote speaker on both Friday and Saturday mornings was Rachel Carman. What can I say about her? Animated Bible story-teller. I put down my pen and notebook and just sat and listened to her as she told us story and after story in the Bible. She brought out the characters, their feelings, the circumstances, the details. We were reminded of John the Baptist, Mary, Moses, Naomi, Peter, Joseph, and Paul. Through their examples we were challenged to leave doubts aside, stop surviving, hope and soar. “Dare to live life like He is on the throne.”On the road to blessing there will be challenges and obstacles. Paul tells us, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
WORKSHOPS
Science
This year I had had a different focus than previous years. My sons really like science and it is my weakest subject. So I really wanted to equip myself to better teach science to my boys. I think there were seven sessions on science, more than I could go to. I heard Lanny Johnson speak on the math patterns found in Creation. They are everywhere from hurricanes, to flowers, to ram’s horns and bees, to our body. It was amazing! He has a book on it, The Hand of God for $4. I met Marilyn Johnson, his wife, at their table, Alpha and Omega Institute. They personally helped me find beginning books and DVDs to use as our Science Curriculum next year. They are perfect for 6-10 year olds and cost me $35. The Lannys also do free Creationism workshops for groups. We set a date and they are going to come out and do a workshop for our homeschool group!!! Seriously, I wanted to jump up and down I was so excited. I feel I am on the road to being better equipped to teach my boys science because of their help.
Practical Fun-Theater
I felt so uneducated. I didn't know what a tableau was, or how to spell it! But Tiana Turner’s session was so educational, fun, and practical. She is pursuing a masters in Theater for youth at Arizona State. She showed us fun ways to incorporate theater into our children's education based on the home entertainments of the nineteenth century. She showed us how to recreate historical events, paintings, literature scenes, proverbs, and science vocabulary into tableaus, basically a still scene. Did you know you can personify just about anything and make a dialogue or a monologue to show comprehension? Forget standardized testing. New Assignment: Write a dialogue between addition and subtraction to show understanding of the concept of commutative property! Here was our group's attempt:
Addition: Subtraction you are so snobby only letting the oldest number go first.
Subtraction: At least I have order and am not chaotic like you, always mixing up the order of the numbers.
EXHIBIT HALL
Changes in curriculum can be stressful. But some of the things we are doing are not working for my boys and I. This year I needed extra time in the exhibit hall to look through curriculum and books. I want to see the pages so I can’t just order online. I am excited to try Rod and Staff for phonics and English this year. It is extremely simple, has basic practice pages, and their sequence of skills makes more sense to me than what we are using. I lean towards simple and easy to follow. I don’t want big and little cards, practice pages, manuals, online access, textbooks, etc. As a bonus I found music workbooks for all three older boys for $3.50 each, which will save me tons of time and money in finding and printing music worksheets. Rod and Staff is extremely affordable plus 10% off at convention. I spent $55 on Phonics/English for K-3rd grade!
I always like to pick up good books including the YWAM missionary and history biographies, Corrie Ten Boom, Nate Saint, Lottie, Moon, etc. These are real-life stories we can discuss and analyze as part of our Literature program. YWAM has a convention deal. At convention they are usually $5 each!
FELLOWSHIP AND FRIENDS
The first year I attended CAPE I went by myself to find out about homeschooling. I knew one person. I had plenty of time to walk through and visit every vendor and go get some lunch because I did not really have anyone to hang out with. This year was my 6th time and Tim’s 5th. We don’t go down the hallway without recognizing someone we know or have met in previous years. We have friends that we sometimes now see every week from our homeschool group and some that live around the state that we only see at convention. This year I made a point to meet the CAPE board members, people that fight for me and serve me in ways that I will never fully comprehend . I met a new homeschool mom who spent time just bouncing ideas off me and asking questions. I met new vendors that assisted me in choosing curriculum and old ones that gifted us with books. Tim and I met local people at the Convention of the States that hold our local government’s power in check. And we stopped by the HSLDA who fights for homeschool freedom globally. It is a common saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The Bible says it takes parents to raise a child, not a village. The village is necessary. God made communities. We need each other. Maybe the village is more for the support of the parents and the family as a whole. CAPE is my community and support system. Just as we gather to celebrate Christmas with our families. This is our homeschool ‘Christmas’ time to gather with other homeschoolers and parents. Every year as we walk away we are sad our time together is over!
