When Charlene Peavy's first born was two years old, she knew in her heart that it was God's will for her to nurture and train this child in his wisdom.

Her decision to leave her job as a secretary for Delta Airlines and home school her daughter Jamie, who is now 19, was questioned by others who told Peavy, "You can't do that, it's illegal."

She discovered home schooling was within state law, and set out to find a suitable curriculum. Seventeen years and four more children later, Peavy continues to home school her children, a decision she said has blessed her family "in ways you can't imagine."

Peavy recalled the Bible verse from Exodus which affirmed her decision. "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." (2:8) Today, she and her husband Tim and their family of five, reside in a modest home located in a rural part of the county surrounded by fields and lakes.

Their daily existence is centered around their faith and service to their church, Fayetteville First Baptist. A recent visit found the Peavy children occupied with various tasks and assignments handed down by mom. Jamie was practicing the piano, Molly, 5 was tending to the new litter of kittens which had been born the night before, and the boys, Tim. 11 and Samuel,9, along with older sister Hannah, 15, were busy with lessons.

Polite and neatly dressed, all five gathered in the living home while their mother talked about her approach to home schooling. "Academics are not the primary focus," Peavy said. "They are secondary. I want my children to aim at the highest goal... to know Christ and to see the world through his eyes. We work on the academics to support that."

To illustrate this approach, Peavy presented some of the work which evolved from the biblical verse citing the heavens. A meticulously drawn series of constellations was the end product along with an understanding of how astrology came into being. The children immerse themselves in their subject matter, going beyond the starting guidelines suggested in their curriculum from Advanced Training Institute of America.

Jamie's and Hannah's study of government was experienced first-hand with internships at the Georgia State House. Tim's grasp of economics and business is reinforced through the sale of eggs produced by his chickens. Their year-long study of the War Between the States culminated in a month-long road trip to visit battle fields and sites of historical significance. Hannah and Tim are about to publish their first books, written and illustrated on the home computer.

Peavy said she is saddened by the current state of the modern family. "The enemy is coming in like a flood," she said referring to Satan. "The enemy is seeking to destroy the family. Children are not loved and nurtured. It's the opposite of what God wants," she said.

Peavy is currently preparing for the Georgia Home Education Association's annual conference and curriculum fair to be held April 23 and 24 at the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro. "This is a major event for home schoolers," she said. "It's like going to the prom."

Her role is selecting presenters of curriculum, whose number has surged significantly since she began instructing Jamie with the Abeka series about 15 years ago. This state-wide conference is expected to draw about 2,000 home schoolers from across the state.