How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids, by Apologia

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids,
by Rachael Carman

otherwise known by its NEW title:

How to Love a Non-Fiction Book When You Don't Usually Care for Non-Fiction!

Okay, I'll admit it - I added that NEW title to this book. 
It deserves it!

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids

  H ~ Have a heart for the things of God

  E ~ Enrich your marriage

  A ~ Accept your kids

  R ~ Release them to God

  T ~ Teach them the truth

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    I'm not a huge non-fiction book reader, unless it's curriculum, but this book had me nodding my head like I was one of those "bobblehead" toys!

     Rachael Carman didn't intend to become a homeschooling parent, but the Lord clearly rearranged her circumstances - and her heart - to help her see that educating her children at home was the best option for her own family.  

     As I read the Introduction, I thought Mrs. Carman had stolen my story, although I didn't desire to be a full-time career woman like she had desired to be.  But so much else in her story - especially her emotions and thoughts - mimicked what I was feeling before we decided to begin homeschooling our daughters. 

     Did I mention that I really don't prefer to read non-fiction books?

     Well, this book was DIFFERENT. 

     I loved it!

     There were so many sections in How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids that brought smiles to my face.  I found myself jotting down page numbers that I wanted to go back and view again later on.

  H ~ Have a heart for the things of God

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     I want to have a heart for God, so my children will see my love for Jesus.  This summer, I began spending more time in private worship, study, and prayer so I could grow further in my faith and my commitment to Christ.  While we have always had family worship time together in the evenings, and I pray off and on throughout the day, this book has challenged me to get back into a private time of reading the Bible alone.  The girls notice when I do this.  In turn, this is helping me question my motives with what I'm saying, writing, and doing.  This is the Holy Spirit at work within me!  I love this growing season of my life!

  E ~ Enrich your marriage

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     It's not easy being a home educator, mom, sister, daughter, friend, and wife.  And as any homeschool mom knows, often "wife" ends up at the end of the list.  We're overwhelmed with lengthy "to do" lists that cause our minds to flee from the thoughts of loving our husbands well, of giving them our full attention, of having an attitude of joy when we see our husband walk through the front door each evening. 

     Mrs. Carmen rightfully encourages us to consider our actions even when we think our husbands don't notice.  A little giggle when we see them goof up; the rolling of the eyes when we think their opinions are not as wise as our own; an unspoken grumble when we don't like their choices or what they're saying to us.  The griping about tiny, little habits our husbands have that really don't matter in the big scheme of life.  This is a convicting chapter, one that I'll regularly go back and reread and meditate upon.  While my husband and I aren't usually able to get away for a weekend, and we've never gone on fancy vacations together, when I show him the respect that he deserves, and he knows that I love him unconditionally despite his flaws, our marriage will be stronger.  If you think that marriages these days need lots of money and expensive trips to keep the marriage strong, then that would indicate that most marriages from the time of Adam and Eve until about 40 years ago must have been terrible!  And even today, most people throughout the world never even leave their village, and yet many have strong marriages.  There are some helpful tips in this chapter that can benefit every marriage!

      A ~ Accept your kids

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     American society loves children...until they're no longer "cute".  Then, they're considered a burden, a pain in the neck, teenagers.  I love  being around my girls.  I love shopping with them, going on trips with them, and I can't wait until they're old enough to attend adult women's retreats with me or book clubs for women.  They are answers to our prayers. 

     This chapter was amazing.  If you are finding yourself completely frustrated with your own children, you have GOT TO READ this chapter!  Jochebed (in the Old Testament) prayed for a deliverer for the Hebrew people, and her son (Moses) was the deliverer!  This chapter was very convicting to me.  Even though I love being in relationship with my daughters as they are maturing, I know we will have some harder times ahead.  That's just life!  Here's a fabulous quote by Mrs. Carmen that I love:

     "It's possible that the answers to some of these prayers [godly government leadership, cures for cancer, missionaries to spread the Gospel, biblical themes in the movie industry, fashions to become more modest] are already here in the form of a child, a teenager, or a young adult.  Are the answers to these prayers growing up under your roof?  Which answer to prayer did you eat breakfast with this morning?  With which answer did you worship God on Sunday?  To which answer did you teach a new math concept today?  Perhaps the answer to your prayers is just learning to sit up or use a cup?  Did your "answer" skin a knee yesterday?  Lose a tooth?  Break an arm?"

     Wow.  That sure makes ME think...and treat my children in a more respectful manner.

 R ~ Release them to God

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     When our girls were each born, we knew that they were being loaned to us by God for a short time.  And of course, that time is going fast!  We call them "ours," but they're not.  They belong to God, whether they recognize that or not.  Regularly, I mentally release them to God.  Their desires and dreams, their strengths and weaknesses, all that they will ever become, is up to them and God.  I actually have very little to do with their adult lives and years to come.  I can only help in the molding and shaping process while they're here with us at home.  It won't be easy to watch them fly out of the nest, but I have no choice but to trust God for His long-term plan for their lives.  It is ALL about trusting God.

  T ~ Teach them the truth.

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     My husband and I have been very motivated since our girls were quite young to make sure they knew the Truth of the Gospel, the words of Jesus Christ, from the Holy Scriptures. 

     One of our key motivations in educating them at home is so that they will have their minds and hearts filled with the truth, so they may combat the lies and deceit that exist in our world.  Bank tellers handle real money while being trained to do their jobs, and this allows them to spot the counterfeit immediately when it crosses their hands.  We're able to present the lies and the truths of the world in context with the Bible because we are choosing truthful curriculum that allows us to discuss all kinds of lies that our world believes. 

     Mrs. Carmen's example for explaining truth is terrific!  I won't give it away here, but you may read it on pages 159-160 in her book!

     While I do really enjoy reading, I can't say that every book I share here with you is a "must read."  How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids is a "must read," whether or not you educate your children at home.  I'd love to share more with you about this book, but you will have to just read it for yourself! 

     How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids is also in a nice, little hardback format that easily fits into a purse or backpack when you're out and about, making it very easy to read "on the go."  If you're already familiar with Apologia science texts, this book has been bound in the same or similar way.  It's a high quality book that I know you will enjoy!

Additional notes about How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids:

View the Table of Contents

Read a sample chapter!

You can find out what other Crew members thought of this book HERE!

Disclaimer:  I received one copy of How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids from Apologia as a member of the TOS Crew for the purpose of writing a review for you here on my website.  No other compensation was provided.

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