How Homeschooling Helped Us Raise Influencers With Integrity

When my children were little, I prayed a simple prayer: that they would grow up to be lights in the world. I didn’t know exactly what that would look like, but I knew one thing for sure: God had given each of them unique gifts, talents, and passions.

My role as their mother, and as their homeschool teacher, was not to force them into a mold but to nurture the spark God had placed inside of them. I wanted to raise children who loved Jesus, who loved home and family, but who also had a heart for the world. Children who would step into dark places and bring light.

What I didn’t know was that God’s answer to my prayer would be children who became artists, musicians, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and yes—even social media influencers.

Isaac – The Music Maker

From the time he was young, Isaac was passionate about music. He loved concerts, instruments, rhythm, and sound. Math was always a struggle, but when he turned sixteen, he asked me if he could be set free from the pressure to keep pushing through math so he could focus on producing music.

I said yes, because I knew music was his future.

Today, Isaac is a music producer and composer with a thriving YouTube channel (Because Isaac), where over 160,000 subscribers follow his journey of exploring the timeless art of music. He’s not only creating his own songs but also diving into the greats, helping a new generation discover beauty and depth in sound.

Anna – The Artist Who Overcame Dyslexia

When Anna was nine, she couldn’t even read the word "dad." She struggled with dyslexia and often mixed up letters like B, D, P, and Q. But she was brimming with creativity. Costume design, historical fiction, and art were her world.

I prayed about what to do, and I felt God telling me to focus on her gifts. So instead of pushing her to meet arbitrary standards, I let her major in the arts and in God’s Word.

That decision changed everything. Today, Anna is the creator of Young Apostles on Webtoon, a Bible-inspired series with nearly a million followers. She is reaching the hearts of young people all over the world through stories and art that bring Scripture to life.

Esther – The Nature Lover Turned Photographer

Esther grew up with a passion for science and animals. She was always bringing bits of nature into the house—sometimes butterflies and sometimes, to my surprise, snakes hidden in her closet aquariums.

By thirteen, she knew she wanted to be a photographer. We let go of all the “standard” high school expectations and poured everything into helping her build her photography skills and her business.

Today, Esther (@estherscanon) is a successful photographer with nearly 300K followers, capturing beauty through her lens and building a career rooted in creativity, entrepreneurship, and vision.

Rachel – The People Lover and Painter

Rachel has always loved people. She wanted to do everything her sisters did, though sitting still and focusing was not her strong suit when she was younger. But at sixteen, a spark ignited: she discovered a passion for painting portraits.

With her love for the Bible and her deep appreciation for the Renaissance art she grew up around in Italy, Rachel began creating sacred, oil-painted works that draw people closer to God. Some of her videos have reached nearly 200 million views, and today she shares her work with nearly 200K followers worldwide.

Her art blends beauty, faith, and truth—bringing light to people through timeless imagery.

Laura – The Gentle Creative Spirit

Laura has always been creative, with a special love for birds, art, and photography. She struggles with health challenges like POTS and Hashimoto’s, but she shines with resilience and joy.

At just 17, she’s teaching her generation to treasure memories beyond the digital screen by bringing back the art of scrapbooking. Some of her videos have tens of millions of views, and she’s already inspiring people to create beauty out of their everyday lives. Right now, she’s in Japan, exploring another one of her passions: travel.

Adoption 

Five of my children came to us through adoption from an orphanage; older kids who carried the weight of neglect and trauma. They came into our family at ages six through sixteen, and for the past eight years, we’ve poured love, creativity, faith, and trust into their lives.

Watching them awaken to love, to family, to faith, and to their own gifts, has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

Raising Kids for a World That Didn’t Exist Yet

When I first started homeschooling, there was so much pressure to standardize my kids, to measure them against expectations that never quite fit. But deep down, I knew I was raising children for a world that didn’t even exist yet.

And I was right.

The world my children grew into needed artists, storytellers, musicians, influencers, and creators who would carry light into dark spaces. And that’s exactly what God has raised them to be.

So many people told me they didn’t want to bring children into such a dark world. But I felt the opposite: I wanted to bring light into this world through my children. That has been my calling as a mother, and 26 years later, I can see the fruit of it shining bright.

The world my children grew into needed artists, storytellers, musicians, influencers, and creators who would carry light into dark spaces.

My husband and I have poured love, Scripture, creativity, and freedom into our kids. And now, I watch them pouring it out into the world.

This is the joy of raising children with a calling. It doesn’t always look like what we expect, but it is always worth it.

Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14–16

Parents, look for the light God has already placed in your children. Don’t be afraid to let go of the molds and the measurements. Nurture their gifts, bless their creativity, and trust that God is raising them for His purposes; purposes we can’t even see yet.

Because, in the end, homeschooling is not all about standardized education, grade levels, test scores and curriculum. Homeschooling sets us free to raise children who unleash creativity, talent, imagination, hope and beauty as they illuminate a dark and dreary world.

5 Things We Did to Prepare Our Kids to Become Strong, Wise, and Successful Influencers

People sometimes ask me how my kids grew into being influencers with such purpose and authenticity. Looking back, I can see five things I did very intentionally as a mom:

1. We delayed phones and protected childhood.

Most of my kids didn’t get phones until they were 16 or 17. This gave them the freedom to create, imagine, and live real life before being pulled into screens. By the time they got online, they already knew who they were and what they cared about.

2. We nurtured their natural talents first.

Instead of pushing them into a mold, I paid attention to what lit them up: music, art, photography, animals, writing. I let them go deep into those passions. Those gifts later became the heartbeat of their influence.

3. We filled our days with creativity and storytelling.

Our home was full of sketchbooks, journals, instruments, cameras, and art supplies. I encouraged my kids to tell stories and express beauty every day. Long before they shared online, they learned how to connect with people through creativity. I often read aloud to the kids, stories of amazing people with a spirit of adventure, strong faith or rare genius and courage. 

4. We built character before platform.

We focused on respect, kindness, responsibility, and faith. Josh and I did our best to be genuine and modeled integrity in marriage and family. My kids learned that true influence isn’t about fame—it’s about character. That gave them the strength to carry the responsibility of having a platform. We were also careful to help them avoid close relationships with people who lacked character. 

5. We created a faith-filled, entrepreneurial home.

Our home was a place where ideas and businesses could grow. We prayed together, studied Scripture, and celebrated creativity. My children saw their talents as tools to serve others and glorify God, not just as hobbies or entertainment. Starting at ages 5 to 7, the kids would launch micro businesses or sell handmade items at festivals. I wanted them to understand the power of creating value at a young age. You can take 50 cents worth of beads and turn it into a $10 bracelet. You can get a book for 25 cents at a garage sale and sell it for $5 at a farm store. I wanted them to see the value of creativity as well as kindness and generosity. 

Here’s the one thing we didn’t do: 

We didn’t expect our children to conform to the standards. We taught them that they were unique individuals created in the image of God with a purpose of a calling that no one else on Earth could fulfill. We didn’t expect them to follow a standardized path or curriculum as homeschoolers; we gave our children vast amounts of freedom to become who they were created to be. 

Looking back, these choices gave my kids a strong foundation. They stepped into influence not because I pushed them, but because they were prepared. Their voices, their gifts, and their faith were ready to shine.