El Shaddai Ministries of Florida, Inc. (ESM) is a non-profit 617corporation. Our purpose is to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ--Yeshua. El Shaddai is one of the many names of God--Adonai meaning the "Many Breasted One" or the "Lord God Almighty." El Shaddai denotes His character as being and having more than enough to meet all of our needs according to His grace and purposes.

Because of Adonai's awesome healing and restoration of our souls, we started ESM and immediately began ministering to mothers and children from broken families. This included taking children from birth to young adult into our homeschooling family. The babies were born to incarcerated mothers to whom we also ministered. The older children lived with us and we homeschooled them.

~ El Shaddai Academy: a private school covering for Christian Homeschoolers residing in the state of Florida. ESM has been operating as a school for Florida Christian Home Educators since 1996. With the ever changing trend of homeschooling ESM was led by the Lord to operate a school covering that would enable parents to teach and disciple their children as the Lord led them to with freedom in the Spirit but with responsibility and diligence as required by God's Word.

ESM believes that the re-emergence of homeschooling in this country that started in the 1970's was a mighty move of God for the purpose of restoring His Bride and this nation. The pioneers of this movement consisted of, primarily, convicted Believers who, in spite of the world's disapproval, chose to bring their families back to the ancient paths. These paths were God's ways and not the world's. Because homeschooling has become successful (which of course is because it was done God's way resulting in His blessings) many others have jumped onto the band wagon. However, many of these new homeschoolers wish to copy the world's way of methodology including its scope and sequence, ways of measuring (standardized testing), and doing "school" just like the system which has failed this country. A majority of homeschoolers today are training their children to fit into the world and to serve it. At ESM our purpose for discipling and teaching our children is to train our children to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, minds, soul and strength, and to not love their own life unto death for the cause of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom!

We believe ESM is a unique private school covering whose goal is to enable parents, who are called by God with conviction and to help along those who are working out this calling, to disciple and teach their children as God leads them according to His Word. This allows Christian families who are with diligence training their children liberty to follow His ways and not the world's. Yet, ESM also endeavours to meet the required laws of man to its utmost ability without compromising God's Law.

While seeking to make discipleship and godly character the primary goal in teaching our children we acknowledge that God can use all things for His glory. We do not want to put God in a box or walk in legalism. If God wants to use the system and its ways to bring about His purposes and He leads us to partake of it then we will work to accommodate such. Therefore, if a family feels it is the Lord's leading to use standardized testing, dual enrollment or school their children along the lines of the public school's graduation requirements, we do our best to accommodate those needs.

~ Workshops: ESM offers a 2-hour overview with an Intro to Homeschooling in Florida. This workshop covers the history of homeschooling in Florida, an explanation of the pros and cons to the two major legal ways to home educate (under county or private school for homeschoolers), curriculum choices, local and state support groups, testing, dual enrollment and immunization waivers. ESM has been hosting this workshop and curriculum fairs for the past 12 years. Be sure to read our Intro to Homeschooling in Florida article.

~ Writing: Via articles, curriculum and publications serving the homeschool and Christian community. Viola wrote a HisStory column for An Encouraging Word magazine covering the Providential HisStory of Jamestown. Check out the articles on our website and learn the truth about God's Mighty Hand regarding Pocahontas and Capt. John Smith at Providential HisStory of Jamestown). Also see An Encouraging Word's site which is owned Wisdom's Gate who publishes Home School Digest at http://www.homeschooldigest.com/aewindex.html

Viola also had the awesome privilege of editing the autobiography of national evangelist Richard "Little Bear" Wheeler of Mantle Ministries. In fact, we have him booked to do his American Providential HisStory and Dating is No Game presentations here in Florida for November 8-9, 2002, at First Baptist of Fruitland Park (see News & Events). Check out Little Bear's website for his catalog of godly character building HisStory books, tapes, videos and curriculum at http://www.mantleministries.com

~ Hosting Events: ESM hosts events, retreats and workshops that support and encourage Christian families and homeschoolers. We hosted the first National Homeschool Mom's Retreat in Nov. of 1998 with Marilyn Howshall and Barbara Shelton. There were 114 women from across the country gathered together to seek the Lord's will and direction for their homes and education of their children. It was an awesome move of God!

~ Providential HisStory of Jamestown: Viola spent three years researching primary and secondary documents on the life of Capt. John Smith and Pocahontas and found that God had a wonderful purpose and plan for Jamestown and did indeed bless and preserve it. It was a major foundational stone for the Pilgrims to come later. Capt. John Smith was noble in character though many authors (including Christian historians and authors) have painted him differently. While writing The Providential HisStory of Jamestown, Viola did a series of articles for An Encouraging Word magazine. Check out the articles at Providential HisStory of Jamestown.

~ Preparing the Bride: This book is currently in the process of being written. It is for the purpose of restoring the lost HisStory to the Bride of Christ (the Church). She needs to prepare herself for her Jewish Bridegroom! Therefore, she must study her Hebraic roots in order that she may be ready to celebrate the Feasts of her Lord and Bridegroom--Yeshua--Jesus!

~ God Heals: As we return to God's Word--His Torah, we will be blessed and prosper in body, soul and spirit. God's people perish for a lack of knowledge and do not walk in the abundance of life that He has for us because we are ignorant of His laws which is a gift of instructions on how to live our lives.

God has healed Viola of thyroid disease, infertility, anemia, bone spurs, a bad liver, depleted adrenal glands and parathyroid problems. This was done by learning more about the wonderful herbs and raw foods that He created and gave to us in the Garden. As we return to the Genesis way of living and eating, our bodies can begin to heal as the Lord created it to. Viola shares how the Lord walked her family through various health problems and provides resources and information.