Interview with Bria Crawford

Our family met Bria, a couple of years ago, when she came to London with a mutual friend.

Bria is the eldest of nine children and lives in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

The Crawford family suffered the loss of their home and possessions during a devastating tornado, on 27^th April, this year.  They are now rebuilding their home.

Bria has kindly agreed to be interviewed for Delivering Grace.

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Hi Bria,

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.

Sarah: Can you tell me what you've been doing over the past two years since we met you?

Bria: As the oldest of a large family I have many responsibilities so I have continued helping my mother school my siblings and care for them. I have been honing my skills in photography, music, cooking, and am still pursuing a wide range of subjects in school. I live on a farm so that brought responsibilities of its own. One included milking the Jersey cow every day and helping keep up chores. I was recently interested in becoming a doula as a source of income, but still allowing me to stay under my father's protection; but at this time in life it would not fit in so I will leave that up to the Lord in the future.

Sarah: We were sad to hear of the devastation after the tornado. How is the rebuilding project going? Has it been difficult to rebuild a sense of normality for your family?

Bria: The rebuilding is going very well. We are about to start the siding and it is almost completely dried in. It has been one of the most difficult things for our family to uproot from the calm life which we've always known to a different and unfamiliar location. I do not think we have completely created an atmosphere of normality. Mostly because we know it's temporary. But we are praying to be in the new house by Christmas. Through all the difficulty this tragedy and uprooting has caused, however, God has shown Himself to us in so many incredible ways and has strengthened our faith as a family.

Sarah: Has the tornado changed your thinking in any way?

Bria: It has definitely changed the way I think of life. I am much less inclined to think or speak negatively about my circumstances. And because of the tremendous blessings and gifts we've received it has opened my eyes to the gratitude I should give to both God and others. Of course you are grateful and somewhat aware daily but you don't have a constant, refreshing reminder until something drastic happens like this. And it has made me so much more thankful that I have family. Not just my parents and siblings, but all my relatives. We could not have gone through this alone. There are some people who lost all their family in the tornado who have no one but friends to help them through. God has just really changed my heart in so many ways.

Sarah: You have been home educated. Have you finished your education now? What are your plans for the future? 

Bria: I graduate next spring, but I have plans to continue my education at home pursuing various subjects I have interest in and prepare to be a mother and wife, if the Lord so wills that. I view the profession of homemaking as a means by which the Lord has privileged women to change the world in only the unique way they can.

Sarah: Some of my readers are home educators and will be interested to know how a “typical” day looks in a seasoned home educating family. Can you tell us about your day?

Bria: Well that's a big question! Part of the privilege of homeschooling is you get to make your own schedule day by day. But we have a regular schedule that we maintain.

We're still working on the everyone getting up early :D. But we usually manage to get breakfast and start our day by around 8 am. Mother reads the Bible with us, and then we do chores assigned to us. What we found that works best with dividing work in the house is that we have 'zones' or certain rooms and areas delegated to specific children. We spend about an hour on chores then start school. We usually have a break in school before lunch. After lunch most of us have the main subjects done and have reading left. And that is also everyone's quiet time and the little ones naps. So we spend about an hour reading and then the afternoon is left for the children to be creative and play outside. Then near supper time everyone has a job to prepare for Dad coming home and helping Mom with supper chores.

Sarah: What does the future look like after you graduate? Will you be going to college?

Bria: After graduation I will continue my education; after all we never really stop learning! I love that pursuit of education isn't limited to a university or "professional". I don't plan to go to college, though if it is a consideration there is the option of participating online. I will pursue different subjects of interest and prepare to run my own family enterprise. Ultimately I desire to rock cradles and rule the world and bring glory to Christ through my family. In the world we live in today true womanhood is scoffed upon.  I want to change the perception of true womanhood.

Sarah: One of your blogs is about books. What are your favourite books?

Bria: Anything by C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, God Doesn't Believe in Atheists, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Real Lincoln, Anne of Green Gables, Shakespeare, Kidnapped, Lord of the Rings, One Thousand Gifts, Charles Dickens, and above all God's Word

Thank you very much.

Bria blogs at Open Book reviews..  She has an update on the rebuild at  her site. Her family’s website is Generation Cedar.