People liked him because he was enthusiastic and happy and friendly. If only more Christian men were like that! Think what a great Christian witness that would be...

If we lived our lives with that kind of open joy, bubbling over with excitement at the world God created for us, marvelling at the works of His hands, teaching others, willing to explore things we don't already know about, TALKING to people... wouldn't that be a powerful testimony?

He made most of us look drab and repressed. If only we Christians had half of Steve Irwin's joy and enthusiasm, we would indeed adorn the Gospel.

When my boys were little and so absolutely exhausting, I never imagined this day. This is it! My last year of school, and it begins today! I was going to take Matthew out for coffee, but it's raining heavily.  I think I will make him a latte in the Vitamix instead. :D 

Its time to plan school. This is my youngest son's senior year! It should be special. I should be sad that it's almost over. Regrettably, I am not. Perhaps I will feel weepy later, but right now every fiber in me is rebelling. I don't want to do this.  It was more fun when there were two of them, of course. Last year, with just Matthew at home, it was boring. Neither of us liked it. Now we have to start another year, and it's time to get plans in order, because we will start on Tuesday.

I am pretty sure that my OC, driven personality is the problem here. I thought he was pretty much done with school, except  for composition and finishing his Calculus book. And Spanish. And 20th century history. And we really should do some more literature. And he does need some Anatomy. Because he wants a career in music ministry, we need some serious Bible classes and Music, of course. And competitive Forensics is tops on his priority list -  I wanted to graduate him last year, but he wants another year of speech and debate. And we really should finish up  that Latin course. And he really needs a better grasp of Current Events.

I have daily writing drills and grammar worksheets for him - 15 minutes a day will do both of those. I did the  writing prompts on my own - mostly famous quotations - and I got the grammar exercises from dailygrammar.com. For Current Events, just M-W-F, I have him spending 15 minutes on the internet news. Fox news every day, and then a rotating schedule of liberal and conservative news sites to work on worldview/discernment skills.  Anatomy is easy - he is using the anatomy coloring book. Both of his brothers used it, too. (Back when I homeschooled Brad, in 1988, I had to go to the college book store to buy it. We didn't have so many  resources then!)  So for Anatomy he just reads the book and colors the  pictures. Calculus is easy, too - that WONDERFUL man on the DIVE CD does all the teaching and then Matthew does the work on his own. For  Spanish, we use the Rosetta Stone program available free through  the public library. It's not even  adequate... I MUST find some affordable classes to sign him up for. sigh....   We are finishing Latina Christiana II, and that is actually kind of enjoyable.

Composition............. I really neglected Composition with Alex until he took his first college class online. He had to write a LOT of essays. His whole grade was based on his essays.  Like Brad, he would rather have his toenails pulled out than write creatively, so it was hard on both of us. His first essay got a C. We had thought it  was pretty good! It was at that point we found Jensen's Format Writing, and after that he got all A's on his essays. He got an A for  the college course, too! But writing each essay was still a huge ordeal and we were so frustrated with each other. So ANYHOW... I really don't want to teach Composition again. It was so ugly  and stressful last time. Matthew will enjoy writing creatively... he just won't like being made to write correctly. He won't like the format and will be certain that his own ideas are much better.

Just thinking about teaching Composition is making me twitch, so let's move on to the next subject....

BIBLE! Doctrine, theology.... a serious course. We have enough books around here that he could just read, but so much of his school is just reading! I think I may end up with a PACES sort of program, actually. I used LifePacs with Alex for his senior year, and while the first few workbooks were pretty lightweight, the  rest were solid. I want a NT and OT Survey sort of thing. He's never done workbooks. It will be good for him.  And easy for me to correct, because he can't argue with me.

Literature is pretty easy, too. I use a variety of resources online and from my bookshelves. We still have to finish up  reading and our online discussion of Persuasion, by Jane Austen. That is possibly the dullest book ever written, but we WILL finish it. He really needs to have one book that represents the female authors of that period. He is then reading Tom Sawyer, which will be much more entertaining. As usual, I will select books that tie into the time period we are studying. I also want to cover some poetry. Well, not WANT to, precisely, but I probably SHOULD.

Then we come to History. We have studied history very very thoroughly over the years. So extensively that my boys know very little about anything after the War Between the States, because we ran out of time before  we got to the 20th century! This year I plan to do 20th Century history, with an emphasis on the United States. I found great resources online to do the AP US History course, skipping the earlier years  and starting after the Reconstruction period. As I research it and review the materials, however, I just don't think I can bring myself to use it. The whole thing is slanted SO far to the liberal left as to be unrecognizable as history! Huge portions are given to bemoaning social injustices and the oppression of women and the poor. They drag in obscure women and devote large amounts of time to them while minimizing the contributions of any white male people. Christianity is portrayed as narrow-minded and oppressive, of course, and my role as a wife and mother is mocked openly and attributed to my arrogant desire to be regarded as "upper class". If it were just a mild slant, evident in a few chapters, I would probably still use the course. But I just can't do it. There was more to the War Between the States than freeing slaves, and more to Westward Expansion than killing buffalo and Indians.  All of those things were bad - VERY bad! - but they were not the whole picture of our nation's history. When my sons learn about WWII, I hope they learn about Hitler and the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the deliberate German bombing of residential London,  the Holocaust, etc. This course focuses strongly on our mistreatment of the Japanese Americans and the rise of women in the factories. And the great evil of bombing Japan, of course. And Zoot suits, for some reason.  While I may still use the timeframe outline, I think I will find other resources for learning what REALLY happened in the 20th century.

I don't know what to do with music. He needs it all. He can play the electric, acoustic and bass guitars and also the  drums, but  he knows very little "about" music. I need to find a resource. He, of course, believes he already knows it all. I wish we had a piano or large keyboard. Art History was pretty thoroughly covered last year. I hope to take him to some museums in Chicago this year. Fine arts are a very weak spot for me. I am such a practical person. 

I refuse to do any of it today. I worked on it all day yesterday and ended up frustrated and annoyed. Maybe I will do something about it tomorrow.

I have been so busy preparing for my trip to Washington! Every year I teach 15-20 different classes in a 2-week period out west.  I LOVE IT. I stay with my best friend and see so many people I love! This year I am going to do several curved patterns. It's hard to keep coming up  with new ideas, and this will be a good stretch for  me and my students. I have been trying new techniques and making samples... that is always a frantic time for me, and I am determined to get them done earlier this year.

I am also working on ebay things, specifically Halloween costumes. So much work and so little time!

And I have to start the school year soon, too. This is Matthew's senior year! I have only vague plans so far. He just doesn't need much. If I could have afforded it, I would have signed him up at the community college  for Spanish and composition. Oh well...

This sign is one block from our house! We saw it when we were driving home from the grocery store last night and DH went back to take a picture. It was so funny!



There is a building near here that is the Center for Arts, Theater, Health and Entrepreneurship (or something like that) and they call it the CATHE center. It always startles me when I see it.

I haven't posted in three weeks, and now I am just stopping  by to show off my latest ebay quilt. I was going to keep this one, but I have decided to regard it as providential that I have it now to sell.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HopeChest-Custom-HANDMADE-QUILT-Autumn-Fall-Wall-Lap_W0QQitemZ110013757361QQihZ001QQcategoryZ947QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I like it!

All of my friends are becoming grandmas! It's funny how families grow. As my friend Marcelyn said, it happens so fast! A marriage or two, and then babies... I guess that's why it's called multiplication.

Two of my sons are involved in relationships.

The middle son is following a "Biblical Courtship" model in building a relationship with a wonderful Christian girl he met at Bible study. They are being very cautious in exploring a relationship, not wanting to do anything they will ever regret in any way, making sure that this is the plan God has for their lives. We are growing very attached to this girl.

The older one (26, for goodness sake!) is seeing a very nice girl who has a 20-month-old daughter. I am holding the baby (barely!) in my avatar picture. They are both so good for my Brad! We are growing very attached to both this baby and her mother.

I would never push my sons into marriage (did I mention that Brad is 26 already?), but modern relationships that take years to develop are hard on the extended family. We want to love wholeheartedly, but we fear loss. We don't have the control over the situation as we do with our own relationships. It's THEIR relationship. And yet, it's all of us. We are a very close family. When the boys marry, their wives will be my daughters. They will be sisters to my other sons. They will gain cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles. We really do marry an entire family.

I have never had daughters. Would I have a tendency to smother them with affection and advice? Probably. I would combat it, of course, but let's face it... telling people what to do is one of my strengths. ;) I am good at it. I have learned a lot of useful stuff in my lifetime, and I don't think we HAVE to learn everything by making painful mistakes. The Bible says we should be learning from counsel. However, I am never offended when people don't follow my advice, so it's usually okay.

Statistically, it is mostly likely that all of my sons will eventually marry. These two girls, both becoming increasingly dear to me, may become my daughters, or God may have other plans. Whatever the case may be, I have been praying for my daughters-in-law for a long time. I even wrote down prayers for them.

PRAYER FOR MY SON'S FUTURE WIFE 

Father, I pray that you will be with that girl who will someday be my daughter. I do not yet know her name, but you do.  While they were being knitted in the womb, you knew that this precious girl and my dear son would someday become one. How awesome you are!

I don't know where she is or in what circumstances, Lord. I beg that you will surround her with angels to guard her at all times. If she does not yet know you, I pray that you will draw her close to you. Send your saints into her life to tell her about you. I want her to love you with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.

If she already knows and loves you, Lord, I thank you. I still pray that you will keep her safe in this sinful world.  You know the dangers that threaten her, my Father; please keep her in your arms. Reveal yourself to her and give her hope and encouragement. I pray that she will seek and find love, comfort, and wisdom in your Word. Teach her to trust in you for all things, Lord.

I pray for her family, dear God. Surround her with love. Help her parents and guide them in training and educating her. Bless their marriage, where she will see the examples that will shape her own marriage with my son. If she is not being raised in a Christian home already, Lord, please bring them all to you soon.

I pray, Lord, that she will understand her worth as a daughter of God. Keep that image before her, so she will see her body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Protect her, Father, from the emotional and physical entanglements, so common to the youth in our sinful world, that cause lasting pain and scars.  Keep her in good health. Encourage her in healthy habits and exercise.

Prepare her for a future that will glorify you, God. Bless her with good Christian friends so they can encourage each other. Reveal her gifts and talents. Give her work to do that will be pleasurable and profitable. Help her learn the skills she will need to be a mother, if that is your will, and make a home.

Bring them together, Lord, in your perfect timing. Be the foundation and capstone of their relationship. Guide their courtship into your will. Help them to realize even before they start married life that it will include pain, and that only your love is perfect and unchanging. But Lord, I ask that they will love each other with a deep and undying love for as long as they both shall live.

Help me, Lord, to remember that you created these two for each other and for yourself, and to train up my son to be a good husband, prepared to love this girl as himself. Help me welcome her with open arms and love her as my own. 

In Jesus' name I ask these things.

Amen