For the mama looking for a village:

I wish you all success in finding your tribe!

I homeschooled alone for many years- just me and my kids, my husband was a loving supporter from the start. My firstborn homeschooled since kindergarten.

When my youngest was 4 months and my eldest was 9 years we found a nature group through Wild and Free.

I had no idea what I was missing. I had learned to just be content with our life.

Now there are so many groups- Facebook seems to be the platform where you can find them.

There are field trip groups.
Chess club groups.
Nature groups.
Co-ops
Classical groups
Book clubs
Fishing clubs

And then take the list above and there’s for boys, for girls or for “all”

Or there’s for “5-8 year olds” or only 6th grade or high schoolers.

High schoolers are the toughest group to build.

And I do not enjoy Facebook. I try now to keep a minimal digital footprint,

But just keep your ear to the ground.

So many factors are hard to align:

The mom is amazing! Her kids not so much

The kids are amazing! But they’re all girls and you need boys.

Or it’s your own kid. We put our son in karate, cub scouts and basketball and he never could make friends. He found faults with any possible peer.

So I stopped trying so hard and spending so much money.

It helps to try to identify with a homeschooling philosophy—- I know I know! Most of us don’t want to label the beautiful organic thing that is evolving before our very eyes.

I find that I tend to find kinship with the Charlotte Mason mamas. (Christian based, nature based, book lovers) I love CM principles and her habit training!! and they are my framework—- but we are very eclectic, funschoolers who also watch a lot of musicals. Many CM mamas would probably scuff at my homeschool.

I think you will find your village when you decide who you are first.
That seems to be a law of nature.

Honor it and prepare for all its gifts.

I have been with my current nature group since 2019. We even joined halfway through the year. We are currently at 9 families present, but have been with over 30 families. (Military and dad’s work keep them coming and going)

4 of the current 9 have been there from the start.

It’s been a roller coaster ride— we scheduling camping trips, Mother Nature says “not today for you guys!” And the adventure becomes trying to get refunded.

We planned a kids handicraft market and Mother Nature sends her wildest storms to us that weekend.

We plan the whole year out methodically, and the government says “nope! Not this “2 weeks” for you all!

We plan the whole year out methodically again (didn’t we learn our lessons?!) and illness takes each family over one by one.

Homeschoolers are resilient.

Sometimes, they want to also just stay home.

Don’t give up on trying.

Failure is essential to success.
Tears are part of growth.
Prayers make things more beautiful.

Humans want connection.

THE CREATIVE’S PRAYER (my daughter, Rachel, keeps this prayer within view as she paints)

GOD,

Raise up a company of creatives who are madly in love with You.

Raise up a company of creatives who have been content with creating for You and with You in the secret place.

Raise up a company of creatives who create from Your presence to lead others into Your presence.

Raise up a company of creatives who are content with being nameless and faceless as long as Your name is made famous.

Raise up a company of creatives who create as worship unto You instead of obligation to man.

Raise up a company of creatives who are aware but unimpressed by the culture.

Raise up a company of creatives who dream and think beyond themselves—a company of creatives who have generations in mind.

Raise up a company of creatives who passionately pursue Your presence over performance, righteousness over relevance, relationship over opportunity, obedience over sacrifice, character over gifting, collaboration over competition, Kingdom over culture, and intercession over infatuation.

Raise up cultural architects—those creating the content that will rebuild cities that have been ruined, infusing them with the culture of heaven.

Raise up hope dealers—those offering messages of hope instead of doom.

Raise up laid-down lovers—those consistently pursuing the heart of God over the praises of man.

Raise up gold miners—those searching out and finding facets of the Father in all of His children.

Raise up ministers of reconciliation—those serving the agenda of heaven by restoring people to relationship with the Father.

Raise up servant-leaders—those choosing to serve others with their creativity instead of themselves.

Raise up families and communities committed to creating safe places for sons and daughters to be equipped and empowered into destiny, who are cultivating communities filled with sons and daughters who are so secure in their identity that competition and comparison are squashed.

Raise up storytellers and history makers, songwriters and swag makers, sculptors and script writers, painters and photo takers, videographers and music makers, actors and ambiance architects, jewelry geniuses and coffee curators, authors and movie makers, preservers, protectors and producers of beauty who are committed to telling Your story.

Raise up those committed to creating things that persuade hearts towards amplified affection and allegiance to King Jesus, committed to carrying Your presence into the earth through their creative expressions until the whole world knows.

Tell Your story through Your sons and daughters. The earth is yearning for their revealing.

AMEN.

By Jasmine Weiler