Steve & Teri Maxwell

I just realized that it has been exactly a month since my last post. Although I seem to go in cycles, post lots and then nothing for awhile, this has been an abnormally long time. April has been a fun and crazy month and life has just gotten in the way of blogging!

First, we attended a homeschool convention where Steve & Teri Maxwell were the keynote speakers. They are ultra-conservative and while I don't necessarily agree with the way they think on everything, they were hugely inspirational. They are raising their family to walk with the Lord and they have such a soft and quiet way about them. I had read many of their books and when I saw that they were speaking in a town near ours, I quickly registered. The biggest emphasis of their workshops was the importance of family. They believe that Dad should be the leader (in all ways, including spiritually) of the family. As this is something that is lacking in many North American homes, I think it is an important message for dad's to hear. It's important for mom's to hear, too, as they often get in the way of Dad's leadership role. We can discuss things with our husbands, but we need to learn to trust their judgement and not be so quick to point out where they are failing or where they could improve.

Something that I've learned being Mom to boys is that Dad is going to parent them much differently than I am and that is okay. I tend to want to put a feminine spin on everything hover because I know what it was like to be a child. But...I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, which I'm realizing is so very different from being a little boy. I used to think that the difference between boys and girls at a young age was only their physical parts. Not true! My boys need to have Dad's involvement as much as, if not more than, mine. The good news? My husband has known this all along, has perservered in spite of me and has been very patient with me in the process. Oh how it humbles me when I finally start to figure these things out!

Getting back to the Maxwells...my best friend, Bobbie, was the one to introduce me to their books. She's read them all, except one. Since she wasn't able to go to the convention, I got her the book that she hasn't read - complete with a special note of encouragement just for her from Teri Maxwell.