Summer is the season I play, rest, and enjoy.  I garden, go trail riding, and get outside a whole lot.  I also use this time for catching up on projects in our home that has been neglected (a back closet is on the agenda), and organizing all the other areas that have been avoided. 

I also like to spend time reading books that pertain to the educating of our children.  I like to meditate on what it is I want to do next year in our school.  What did we accomplish last year?  What do I want to do differently in this upcoming fall?  What will my direction be?  I read the Bible, I seek His wisdom, and I ask for His agenda in the lives of my children.

I often do not need to buy any new books – just pull from the shelves some good ones I already possess.  One of my favorites is a series of small booklets by Marilyn  Howshall.  The particular booklet I was reading this weekend is called, The Science, Art and Tools of Learning.  I underline and highlight when I read.  And if I read something that really hits me as a valuable thought that I need to ponder and meditate on, I close my book and just think. 

While sitting on the dock this morning, enjoying the sun and the sound of the waves, I did read something that made me stop, and close the book.  

“…perfectionism in any area indicates a person may be image-conscious. This is a sin and not to be equated with striving for quality in all we do. Perfectionism standards in the home environment will always stifle and hinder true growth from occurring.  Self-centeredness is at the root of perfectionism because it cares more about external appearances than it does for people.  The second step is to begin laying perfectionism down.  Do not only recognize it in your underlying motivations but acknowledge it to yourself and to God and begin to overcome this hindrance…”  (Marilyn Howshall, Book 1, The Science, Art and Tools of Learning.)