Keeping first things first

If you go to many homeschooling conferences, you're likely to see a few cartoons by Todd Wilson. More or less, he puts to paper what every homeschooling parent thinks from time to time.

He also writes books, and my wife is reading one of them. She was struck by the example of a woman who got her children homeschooled through high school--and ended up single. She, and her husband, missed the point. The goal isn't to educate one's children at home, but rather to apply God's call to marriage and family. Raising up Rhodes Scholars doesn't mean squat if you've failed to love your spouse or teach your children about Christ.

Academic excellence is wonderful, but we ought never forget that it's simply the fruit of a life lived to serve Him and love our families. First things first.