With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Do you realize that as homeschoolers we have great power? We have the power to work at our own pace, we have the power to pursue those subjects we are really passionate about, we have the power to rise above the world’s low expectations and truly excel! The question is, what do we do with that power? Does working at our own pace mean hurrying through our schoolwork so that we can spend our time doing productive things, or does it mean unnecessarily stringing out the schoolday till dinnertime? Do we use our free time to develop our minds or waste them? Are we rising above the world’s low expectations, or are we using homeschooling as an excuse for not doing more with ourselves? These are some tough questions that need answering.

I know from my own personal experience that I’ve only recently begun considering these points. I never realized what power we homeschooled girls have! And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve let myself off the hook many a time because “I’m just a teenager.” We have more freedom and power than most of the kids in America! What can we do with it?

Enter Alex and Brett Harris. Ever heard of these guys? They’re two young men who have started a teenage revolution: a rebellion against low expectations. They’re all about using our teen years to really make a difference in the world! On their site the brothers say, “When you look around today, our culture does not expect much of us young people. We are not only expected to do very little that is wise or good, but we're expected to do the opposite. Our media-saturated youth culture is constantly reinforcing lower and lower standards and expectations.” Isn’t that so true?

This movement is not specifically for homeschoolers, but think about it: of all the teenagers in the world, don’t we have the best chances of going out there and doing hard things for God’s glory and the good of our world? The teen years are often seen as “slush years.” Teenagers aren’t supposed to do anything but go to school and goof off. Real life only starts when you become an adult. That's not true.

I encourage you to check out the Harris brothers’ site at http://www.therebelution.com/index.php and to read their book, Do Hard Things. And yes, they’re guys, but that doesn’t mean that all this “high expectations” stuff only applies to them! We don’t have to wait till we’re twenty to become women of God, productive members of society. Start now, while you are free of all the entanglements of adult life! OK, that’s my spiel. Have a great day, everyone!

до свидания!
Abby Rogers