Be Positive!

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends." Proverb 17:9 (NIV)

If you speak well of everyone, you will be promoting love and kindness in your group. But if you break confidences or share offenses or problems, there can be dire consequences. Walls can build between friends and the group can begin to be damaged or even to splinter. Gossip can take root and choke out the hope of a cooperative spirit within your group.

A good leader protects the developing friendships within the group; protects the reputations of each member, speaking well of them at every opportunity; and redirects negative conversation with well-placed compliments.

Always focus on the best in others. Everyone has faults and makes mistakes. Your graciousness will be a shining light that will empower others to follow your example in building each other up.

Lifting you up!
Denise & Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Running Toward Conflict

Conflict does not need to paralyze you or your group.

There are some powerful techniques available to guide you safely over the hurdles of misunderstanding, differences, gossip, and unmet expectations that can face your group.

Peacemaker Ministries offers several resources that can help leaders, families and churches guide people through conflict. These principles are so simple and practical that they can be adapted easily for homeschool group leadership.

We highly recommend leaders to read through their web site. It is loaded with articles full of wisdom, experience and peace. We truly believe you will find their materials life-changing--for your group and for your family. We have personally been inspired by what we've read. We have been inspired to face conflict head on in confidence and in love. We at Homeschool Group Leader have been especially affected by the PAUSE Principle and the Seven A's of Confession.

Let us know your positive tips on conflict resolution and on how http://www.peacemaker.net/ has blessed you.

Running the race with you,

Denise and Kristen

www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

How It All Got Started. . .

We are idea people and we wanted to do something creative, fun and helpful. And we wanted to stay home to do it.

You wouldn't believe the crazy ideas that crossed our minds! But we also knew that with homeschooling and raising our families, we couldn't do most of them.

Since we are good friends who complement each other well, we knew that we wanted to work and write together. So, in October of 2007, after a lot of prayer and planning and discussing with our husbands, we signed up for an e-course by Stephen Beck on how to write an e-book.

We learned so much, so fast! In just eight short weeks, we learned how to blog, publish articles on the internet, research our niche, conduct teleseminars, add affliates, and design a website from scratch.

Beck's video tutorials also made it possible for us to easily navigate complicated software programs that were needed to launch Homeschool Group Leader and then begin writing and eventually publishing our e-book.

We've conquered fears and we've made mistakes. We've overcome obstacles and we've begun to trust even more the direction God wants us to go. We know that Homeschool Group Leader needs to reflect who we are, what we've learned and what we can learn from other leaders. It has become a ministry.

We wish that we would have had a resource like HGLeader when we began serving as group leaders. During those serving years, we discovered that leaders often feel alone, inadequate and empty. We knew this site needed to connect leaders and let them know they've got support; got resources to help them do their job well; and encourage them that they are totally adequate in Christ.

We have a lot of fun getting together each week to provide you new materials, answer your questions, write articles and learn the internet ropes. The challenges are exciting, and we believe all the work will be worth it when it ministers to your heart.

Many blessings,
Denise and Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

If I Were a Suitcase, Where Would I Be?

Our eyes scanned the sides of the interstate searching desperately for any sign of the green suitcase. . .

Just an hour before, we had been feverishly working on an article for Homeschool Group Leader when a friend drove up in the driveway, frustrated, tired and needing help. They had lost their suitcase along the interstate when it had blown off the top of their mini-van. Without thinking, we jumped into Denise's car and zoomed to the rescue. What should have taken a few minutes, turned into over an hour of looping around and around under overpasses and scouring feeder roads for the elusive case.

Have you had days like this? We never did finish that article. . .

Sometimes things won't go as you've planned them. Don't beat yourself up when things don't go perfectly. When there are interruptions and unexpected detours, be flexible and available and enjoy the ride. The immediate can be as important as your to-do list. Instead of stressing about what's not getting done, laugh as we did, saying out loud, "If I were a suitcase, where would I be?"

Going with the flow,
Denise & Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com