Leavening for the Whole Lump
By Hope Ware
Added Sunday, September 02, 2007
As homeschool parents, we often forget that the end result of years of hard work educating our children is more than pouring in facts, figures, and information. It is also the culmination of relationship, joyful discovery, and some carefully added 'leavening'.
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Early one morning my boys talked with me as I made breakfast. As our discourse continued, I poured oatmeal into the boiling water. Too late I realized that in the distraction of conversing with my children, I had added *equal* amounts of oats to *equal* amounts of water! (To make oatmeal, you should add one part oats to two parts water.)
I quickly decided the best course of action was to add more water. In short, we wound up with twice as much oatmeal as our family would consume. After encouraging all to "eat hearty!" I looked at the leftover oatmeal left in the pan. Anyone who has known me for any amount of time understands the lengths I am willing to go in the name of "thrift". Quickly my brain calculated the potential uses of leftover oatmeal.
Muffins! That was the solution! Looking up a recipe, I quickly added all the necessary ingredients. Thrusting one tin of muffin batter into the preheated oven, I prepared to fill another. It was then I realized that in my haste I had neglected one "small" ingredient. Baking powder! I calculated how much batter was already in the oven. Over half. So… I added 1/3 of the baking powder that the recipe called for to the remaining batter and continued filling the tins.
The results, of course, were marked: one tin of perfectly puffed muffins and the rest with a slightly soggy, thick, "pound cake-like" consistency. My children graciously called the "mistake" muffins "cookie-muffins" and ate them all! They think I am a creative genius - not a Mother who made a cooking "faux paux".
As I pondered the baking powder's effect on the muffins, I was reminded that the lack of a "minor" ingredient had resulted in a flat non-descript result. You see, that ingredient, although absent in a small amount, was the leavening for the entire product.
The Lord spoke to my heart and said, "What are you adding to your homeschool as leavening?" Here is what the Bible says about leavening in I Corinthians 5:6 - "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" As homeschool parents, we often forget that the end "result" of years of hard work educating our children is more than pouring in facts, figures, and information. It is also the culmination of relationship, joyful discovery, and some carefully added "leavening".
What is leavening? Leavening can be taking the time to explore nature together. Take a walk. Lay on your back in the grass and look at the clouds. (Of course, it won't hurt to point out what cloud is cumulous and which is nimbus!) Watch a bird build a nest in the spring and then gaze with wonder as the baby birds grow up and fly from the nest. Cook together… try out a muffin recipe!
Collect a big basket of buckeyes in the fall… and then use them as math counters! Cuddle on the couch and read a good book together. Immerse yourself in a topic of your child's choosing! Take time to listen to your child and then answer their questions about life, faith, and morals. Teach your child to love the Lord with their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Celebrate the wonder of seeing life through the eyes of your child. Laugh with your children! Enjoy their company each and every day.
These are the things that will stand out in the end. These are the things that will create men and women who know how to truly love learning, love life, and love their Creator! So, while you are studying the times tables, listing sight words, and repeating the Declaration of Independence, remember to take the time to add a little "leavening" to the mix!
Hope Ware is a member of our HomeschoolingBOYS email encouragement group!