Welcome to Parkland Home Educators Association Support Group!

Allow me to introduce our family to yours. Arnie and I got married in 1995 and decided early on to have our children at home with a midwife and to home school them as well.  We have been blessed with Tobi (1999), Jess (2001), Arielle (2003), Rianne (2006) and Nathan (2008) becoming a part of our family. We have a very busy household and I’m sure you can relate!  We attempt to maintain the balance between training and educating our young crew, household responsibilities and enjoying extra curricular activities.  We believe in upholding the traditional values of learning, and that learning is a life long experience.

Home schooling has been a wonderful choice for our family.  Just recently, we were reading through the Book of Exodus.  At first, I was tempted to skip over the instructions God gave Moses for making the tabernacle (it seemed a little “boring” compared to reading all the fun stories in Genesis).  But now I know the reason for sticking it out.  As we were reading about the anointing oil and the incense, we realized that the ingredients in those recipes are myrrh and frankincense.  We realized the connection to the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus!  Then Tobi jumped up in excitement saying, “The gold, the gold!  It covered the tabernacle and gold was also given to Jesus!”  How absolutely wonderful to discover this together, to realize how the tabernacle and all its functions resemble to us what Jesus did when He died on the cross for us!  This is why I love home schooling!!  I love to watch my children learn and grow in their spiritual life and academic life!

One of the main purposes for the Parkland Home Educators Association (PHEA) is to support each other on the home-educating journey that we have chosen.  Whether you are at the beginning of this journey, somewhere in the middle or are seeing the end coming as your children graduate, there is a place for you in this group.  There are days when it seems we have it all together and things are flying along smoothly.  Then there are days when it seems like the world is crashing in all around us.  One of the functions of the Body of Christ is to build each other up with the Word of God and to have His Spirit breathe fresh life in us.  “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another ...” (I Thessalonians 5:11).   I hope and pray that we can be that Body to each other as members of the PHEA. When the whole Body does its part, then the Body can function easily and harmoniously.  There is true beauty as we support and encourage each other on this journey.

I look forward to being a part of your lives as we enjoy the benefits of our home-educating journey!

Jennifer Pahl