Good morning! Did you know that homeschooling wasn’t legal in all 50 states until 1992? Well now you do.

This homeschool fun fact was brought to you courtesy of Jacob’s questioning mind and a quick Google search.

— Jacob Gooden

On this weeks episode…

I sat down with Marsh to explore their unique and deeply personal experience growing up homeschooled in rural Oklahoma. Raised by their grandmother and educated through the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum, Marsh opens up about navigating ADHD, isolation, and a rigidly religious upbringing—all while discovering their identity as a queer creative. This episode is a candid and powerful look at what happens when your homeschool environment stifles more than it supports, and how art, introspection, and chosen family can be a path to healing.

In this episode, we covered:

• ACE curriculum and control – What it’s like to be educated by a workbook and tested by your grandma

• Queerness and survival – Growing up in a religious bubble while knowing you don’t fit the mold

• Creativity as escape – How art became Marsh’s lifeline during their most isolating years

• Rural reality – The added weight of being homeschooled in a small, conservative town

• Life after homeschool – Reclaiming identity, setting boundaries, and discovering community

If you haven’t enjoyed this week episode, you can find it here:

If you’d rather listen, check it out on Spotify or Apple

What Are Your Thoughts On This…

Recently on the podcast, I kicked off a brand-new series unpacking Joshua Harris’ infamous book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” and its impact on the homeschool and evangelical world. In the first episode, I share my raw reactions and deep frustrations as I read through the first three chapters of a book that shaped purity culture for an entire generation.

From unrealistic expectations around courtship to the shame and confusion it created around sexuality, I dive into why this book became so powerful—and why Harris eventually pulled it from publication.

In this episode, we covered:

• How the Harris family influenced the early homeschool movement

• What courtship was really like for homeschool kids

• My own experiences with purity culture and sexual shame

• Why this book was more harmful than helpful for young Christians

• The confusion around "sexual sin" and its blurry boundaries

Did you read I Kissed Dating Goodbye growing up? What messages stuck with you? What are you still unpacking? I want to hear your story. Hit reply to this email or reach out on Instagram and tell me.

What I’m reading…

This has been the summer of reading. I’m currently going on a 32 day reading streak so “YAY ME!”

I’ve been participating in my library’s summer reading program and as a part of the program, there are all these challenges, like read a book published in 2025, read something written by a bipoc author, or what I’m currently doing…reading a book in a genre you’ve never read before.

So all that being said, I’m finishing up “People We Meet On Vacation” by Emily Henry. Sure it’s a romance novel but I’m really enjoying it. Think “Harry Met Sally” but in modern times. Two college friends with nothing in common take a week-long summer vacation every year for a decade. There’s everything you could want from a rom-com. A little humor, a little drama, and a whole lot of will they, won’t they.

So far this books getting an 9/10 from me.

What are you reading this summer?

Until Next Time…

Peace & Love

Jacob G