Author: Cyndi Rodgers

Hello PEACH Families!

My name is Pamela Harig, and this is my second year as PEACH Newsletter Editor. My husband and I along with three of our six children live together in the beautiful countryside of the Shenandoah Valley. Like everyone else, we have been seeing lots of snow and extreme cold temperatures during January. With snow still lingering on the ground at our home, reminds me of winter days during my own childhood. How I long for the warmer days of spring ahead. I hope everyone is staying warm and healthy during these cold
winter days. It’s hard to believe the holidays are behind us and we are moving into the 2nd month of 2022. It has left me asking the question, Where does time go?

Reminiscing on our family’s homeschool journey which began nine years ago, has me
wondering the same thing. Time does not stand still for sure, but the wonderful moments and memories we have been able to create through our homeschool journey will impact our children throughout their lives. Investing and providing the greatest education to them has been the utmost important thing to me, and is what led our family into the homeschool journey and community.

We joined PEACH about 6 years ago, and what a blessing it has been to our family. Initially, I sat back and participated in PEACH, as a member, attending events, and/or helping chaperone a teen event. Then, two years ago a former board member contacted me, requesting I allow a nomination in my name to run as the PEACH Newsletter Editor. At first, I planned to decline. Then quickly, God spoke and I knew I must be obedient. I am thankful I said yes to serving in this capacity. It has been such a blessing to me, far beyond what I can put into words. As this PEACH year comes to a close in just a few months, so will my time
as newsletter editor. It is time for someone else to step up into this position. As the current board looks forward to next year, there will be many opportunities and positions to fill. I encourage you to prayerfully consider now, the possibility in serving in one of these roles. It takes many people to keep PEACH going strong, but the value PEACH has on the families and community in which we serve are by far worth the time we give.

Many Blessings,
Pamela Harig
PEACH Newsletter Editor

Happy November PEACH families!

Greetings to you from your new PEACH treasurer,
Jennifer Perdew. I will take a moment to tell you
a bit about myself and my family. I’ve been
married to my husband, Brad, for 23 years,
which also happens to be the length of time we
have lived right here in the Shenandoah Valley.
We have six children, half of whom are young
adults already! Having always homeschooled,
we’ve been members of PEACH for the last 15
years. Now we are down to exactly half of our
peak enrollment with only three studying from
home this school year, a senior, a junior, and an
8th grader. Honestly, I was a bit reluctant to even
think about homeschooling when my now college
sophomore was a mere 4 years old, but am I
ever glad God initially dragged me down this path
which has become an amazing and enriching
educational journey.

Temperatures are dropping just like the leaves.
Soon we will change the clocks back and the days
will become shorter. It’s a great time to grab a
sweater and some hot cocoa while we sit by the
fire with our family and focus on being thankful.

As we approach Thanksgiving at the end of the
month, it is an excellent time to remember to
count our blessings. We would do well to also
remember where our blessings come from. As
James 1:17 says, “Every good thing given and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of lights…”. Since all good things
come from God, we need to take time to thank
and praise Him! Despite our circumstances and
the crazy twists and turns we experience in our
increasingly challenging world; we know that
Jehovah Jireh will continue to provide. Paul
encourages us in Philippians 4:19 “And my God
will supply every need of yours according to his
riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” And it is that
Providential provision for which we are
abundantly grateful!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Jennifer Perdew
PEACH Treasurer

Hello PEACH Families!
The calendar says it’s officially fall and the
weather is cooperating with that-some days.
Either way we get to enjoy pumpkin spice
everything and roll our eyes at all the Christmas
displays going up in stores. By now, hopefully,
you’re into the rhythm of school and coops, fall
sports and extracurricular activities. But I hope
you make enough time for rest and quiet in your
family’s life. Elizabeth Elliot said “The devil has
made it his business to monopolize on three
elements: Noise, hurry, crowds. He will not allow
quietness.” Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to Me,
all you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from
Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and

you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy and My burden is light.” Which of these
quotes most resembles your life? Are you too
busy, is there too much hurry, are your days
crowed with stuff to do? Or are you at rest and
feel like your burden is light and load is easy?
I charge you to ask yourself in this changing of
the seasons which of these most resembles your
life and which one do you want it to resemble?
And for those of you who know me well, I realize
how hypocritical this must seem for me to be
writing. But like Paul, I too am the greatest of
sinners and am preaching to myself. So, join me
as we listen to the spirit and take on His yoke. I
bet pumpkin spice tastes even better in the quiet.
Cyndi Rodgers,
PEACH Co-President

Welcome to the new school year and to PEACH
2021-2022. It is time to get back to normal and
to figure out what that new normal is. With all
that is currently happening and has happened
over the past year and a half, the world and life
as we know will never be the same.
Fortunately, the God of all grace… will restore,
confirm, strengthen, and establish us. (1 Peter
5:10) So We can start out this new year in grace
and faith, confident that the Lord is with us.
The new PEACH Board is excited to get things
going and will introduce themselves in future
newsletters.
We are Danny and Cyndi Rodgers, your PEACH
Presidents. We have six kids, 14-22, four boys
and two girls. We have always homeschooled, the
oldest two have graduated and the youngest four
are still at it. Cyndi also graduated from
homeschool back in the “illegal/pioneer” days.
We have lots planned for the year and are
working to get things in place. Field trip, play
dates, teen events, parties, and of course
support group meetings as well as getting our
digital community more active. Look for more
info on everything in the FB group, on the
website/calendar and in your monthly newsletter.
I encourage you to get your membership form in
if you haven’t already. We are giving everyone
until the end of September before we update our
records.
We are still in need of some help, especially a
PEACH Vice President and a Newsletter Editor as
well as some coordinator positions. Please
contact the board if you or someone you know
are interested. We are an all-volunteer group and
it takes everyone being involved for it all to
happen. It’s work, but it’s a blessing to those on
the giving and receiving end. We look forward to
helping PEACH find it’s new normal and hopefully
a lot of the old normal. Please contact us for any
help, suggestions, or questions you have.
Danny and Cyndi Rodgers,
PEACH Co-Presidents

Welcome to PEACH. We have an almost entirely new board coming on right now, and
we would like to say hello and welcome to all the new and ongoing members, as well as those just checking things out. Like parenting, homeschooling is a part of life that brings far more trials and blessings then we ever thought it would.

We are in the midst of summer 2021, and things are heating up. The temperatures are
soaring, but so are things in the educational and political realms. Opinions on both sides can get heated. Add in trying to find our new normal after (and still somewhat with) COVID-19
restrictions, and things seem chaotic and out of whack. It’s a good time to remember that God is still on the throne and still in control.

2020 was an odd yet banner year for homeschooling. More families home-schooled
last year then ever before, even though most were forced due to COVID restrictions. I’m not
going to go into a debate of whether it was “real” homeschooling or not. It’s not a debate that would cause unity and that is what’s needed now – Unity. Our children are under attack by indoctrination that we don’t have a say in, our freedoms are being removed, and future
generations are going to grow up in a very debased world if we don’t do something. There are many ways to do something – get involved, vote, speak up, show up, support those that do, don’t be complacent and don’t think it won’t affect you – it will. My father used to quote the old adage “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” and I think that is true still today. Homeschooling is one of the ways many of us have been “taking a stand.”

PEACH is a support group and we are here to uphold each other. Whether you are a
newbie or a seasoned pro, whether you participate in one event or you attend everything, we are all in this together, and we all have the same goal in mind. So let’s remember what our PEACH statement of purpose says “In God’s Word we are commanded to “provoke one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24) and to “train up a child according to God’s Word” (Proverbs 22:6).”

Danny & Cyndi Rodgers
PEACH Co-presidents