Thankful Thursday - Support Groups-12/6/12

This is a day to say "Thank You" to the Moms who organize and oversee our Homeschool support group, HSU. 

HSU (Home Schools United) has been a great blessing to our family for many, many years. We have opportunities to participate in field trips, roller skating parties, living history days, a Geography fair, and an Academic Fair thanks to these ladies and their hard work. This is what I refer to as the 'umbrella' over the home schoolers in our area. Not everyone belongs to HSU, but many families do, and it becomes a valuable resource. Getting emails about our own activity choices, plus notices about events happening in the neighboring counties is priceless. It would take me hours each month to search out all the activitites, used book sales, special programs and discounts offered for home schoolers. Because of HSU, I can instead spend that time with my children, because checking my emails or the message board only takes a few minutes.

Our girls have had many awesome, fun and exciting experiences through HSU. When did your child first... learn about the Romans? meet a Civil War re-enactor? learn to roller-skate? taste authentic French food? present a display about Hawai'i? learn to interact and make friendships with their peers? We have done all these things and more with HSU. Especially helpful for me, are the opportunities to see my fellow home educating parents. I miss my friends. Face it, we are often too busy with day to day demands to set aside as much time as we would like to work on our adult friendships. Through HSU,  at our parties, monthly skating, and the quarterly Parent's meeting I have a time to be refreshed. Time to hug my friends and catch up in a small way on what God has been doing in their lives. 

If you haven't consider joining a home school support group ( and you're a home schooler!) let me encourage you to do so. If you're not a home schooler, find support for yourself and your family through your church or organizations you belong to. Many PTA groups allow Moms and Dads a chance to meet and discuss parenting and educational ideas, not just the latest bake sale. Your son or daughter's sports team may have a "team Mom" position. Why not share that responsibility, and that blessing, with a few other Moms? Maybe Dad needs to carve out time to go to the monthly Men's breakfast at church---send him! 
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25