CLS

Olivia, our youngest, took her SAT today at Waukegan High School. I know she was real nervous, but I'm sure she did just fine.

The whole thing made me think about how thankful I am to have such a great ministry as Christian Life School as part of our church and what an amazing impact it has. We have committed and passionate school leaders in Susan Nelson (administrator), Troy Tennyson (upper school principal), Christie Gould (elementary principal) and Stephanie Tennyson (daycare director). I want to thank them for what they do. They love students and are committed to their Luke 2:52 growth - spiritually, physically, academically and socially. Joelene is working there now as a Junior High guidance counselor and Worldviews teacher.

I didn't have the privilege of attending a Christian school. I went to public school, as many of you did. Sure, we all turned out just fine (thanks!), but I'm still glad we offer what we do with CLS.

Olivia was home-schooled for several years before she started middle school at CLS and is graduating this coming May from there. All three of our daughters will have graduated from the same school. I know a lot of people who home-school, as we did for awhile, and most are avid proponents of it. They have a point, I'm sure.

In fact, did you know that all of these awesome people were home-schooled?

1. Author Agatha Christie.

2. Author Pearl Buck. Her family moved to China when she was just three months old. She was homeschooled by a Confucian scholar and learned English as a second language from her mom.

3. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell. He was homeschooled by his mother until he was about 10. It was at this point that she started to go deaf and didn’t feel she could properly educate him any more. Her deafness inspired Bell to study acoustics and sound later in life.

4. Inventor Thomas Edison. He left public school after only three months because his mind wouldn’t stop wandering. Today, he would most likely be an easy ADHD diagnosis.

5. Poet Robert Frost.

6. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He didn’t learn to read until he was 12.

7. Mozart.

8. Author Laura Ingalls Wilder. She started teaching school herself when she was only 15.

You might say, "Wow! You just made a pretty great case for HOME-SCHOOLING, didn't you?" Well, maybe - but there were only EIGHT people there, so ....

I'll still throw my hat in the Christian school ring today. I'm not against public school or homeschooling - not at all - I just know we have one of the best Christian schools in the country right here.

Congratulations to all the teachers, workers and volunteers who are part of CLS ministry.

And be blessed.