I’m in Clinton County Michigan, in a small town called Ovid.

Nonsensical … I’m going to try not to be judgemental here. I never understood why we spend so much time IN church but never get out to do real community good; to preach the gospel, comfort the poor and sick, in general ‘they will know us by our love’ Christianity. I don’t understand why nearly every church I attend feels the need to bash muslims, homosexuals, and democrats. I don’t understand why we would oppose abortion but then talk behind the back of a pregnant teenager who is the very picture of pro-life. Why aren’t we lining up at the Planned ParentHood Centers with signs saying ‘we love you,’ ‘we love your child,’ ‘we are here to help’ ? Why is it that the children at youth groups are more misbehaved than the random child in my daughters 1st grade course? Why can’t my wife aspire to be an elder or church leader – why can’t my daughter when she grows into adulthood?

Perhaps I’m oversimplifying the bible – I’m not a scholor of it by a long shot – but it seems to me that it boils down to: what you do onto others you do onto me, wherever two people meet in My name, I am there with them, and ‘understand that I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ Nearly everything in the church should come back to these points.

I’m sorry, I know this is a homeschooling forum. I worked with a pastor that quit (went into banking) who has services for his family (and friends, on occasion) where they do reading from the bible, talk of thier thankfulness and love and love for one another, and adjourn. I was thinking that this might be more helpful, along with weekly tasks to look (for example) at opporitunities to see and practice grace, or forgiveness, or mercy. But then I really would be sheltering my children from the world – no school, no church. I think perhaps I am taking it all too far, as I tend to do.

Having been a stay-at-home dad who homeschooled, I feel for you. Homeschooling moms have no idea how to relate to you and the “bum” title is a hard one to shake.

That said, I think homeschooling works better, though socialization IS hard if you only have one child. Been there, too. Some localities are better than others for providing socialization options.

Where do you live? Perhaps I can help recommend a church. What about your local churches has been nonsensical?

I’m planning on homeschooling my children. As of now I only have a 7 year old. Economically it will take my wife and I 3 more years to pay off the mortgage and be in a place where we can survive on one income. So it has made us ‘put off’ the homeschooling, as well as having more kids.

I worry about a lot. After mentioning to our family our 3 year plan to stay home full time and homeschool (by the way, DAD would be the one staying home, as mom makes more) we haven’t had one positive response. Everything from socialization, to ‘you can’t teach everything,’ etc. It is remarkable since 3 of my inlaws are public school teachers that constantly gripe about what a joke the school systems are.

I’ll admit I am secretly afraid of what everyone thinks of me being the stay at home dad while my wife is off earning the income. I will need grace for that. I’ll admit to secretly planning to turn my kids into the next Einstein to compensate, which isn’t probably possible, or healthy, and really against some of the reasons I want to homeschool in the 1st place. I don’t want my kids paying the price for my feelings of inadequacy. I’ll need grace for that.

I’m afraid of being able to mingle with whatever homeschool groups and parents there are out there, because of the ‘dad’ thing. We are also not terrifically religious in an ‘in your face’ way and the only people I know of so far are very religious. We can’t seem to find a church that makes sense to us, so that concerns me.