How did you usher in the New Year? I spent my day flat on my back, felled by a little bug: strep. I couldn't talk for the blisters on my throat, my fever was 103, and I had four hungry kids and a tired husband missing me. I got over it in a week - one of the longest weeks of my life!

I was tired, but better, ready to begin the second semester of homeschool. Then, it happened: "The Big One." No one in our family really knows what happened, exactly, but my personal theory is our water heater was simply worn out from endless days of providing nice, warm water to bathe six people, wash tons of laundry, and do countless piles of dishes every day. I think it just quit. Whatever the reason, the dastardly thing went out with a bang.

It had leaked for weeks, hidden away in an enclosed closet, keeping its dark secret concealed from the Coburn Zoo.  Then, three weeks ago yesterday, it struck. Dan, my husband, was outside playing ball with the kids when he heard water rushing onto the ground under our home. When he checked, the heater had burst, leaving two rooms of damaged floor and moldy drywall in its wake.

We now faced the task of replacing flooring, drywall, and insulation during one of the coldest weeks this Winter. Temperatures were below zero some nights. We had a gaping hole in the middle of our home!

I rubbed my temples in frustration. How in the world was I going to teach these children from a motel room, in the middle of my extreme home makeover? Every day I pray for wisdom, but during this time, I practically begged for it.

As always, the Lord in His graciousness answers all my petitions. What a grand opportunity we faced! Here was another time to teach the children the art of flexibility, not to mention home improvement skills. We also humbly learned the folly of not regularly checking on our water heater (even though we'd had a professional check it over just months before the big event). It was a good lesson to pass on to our children. We were able to apply spiritual lessons to this as well - how sin in the heart can fester, supposedly unseen, until it can no longer be hidden.  We applied this lesson by explaining how, like checking the water heater, we should daily ask the Lord to help us examine our hearts, apply His word, and stay connected to Him so we do not fester and ruin on the inside.

As we repaired walls and replaced floors, we talked about how Christ cleans out the sin in our lives when we come to Him. He not only cleans us out, but He gives us a new heart and a new life. Our home is slowly returning to "normal" (whatever that is), and we are spending valuable time with our children, teaching them spiritual and practical lessons they will need to make them everything their Creator intended for them to be.

Yes, it was challenging. Our water froze (yet another obstacle), N. had trouble since his routine was interrupted (children with Autism generally need a reliable routine), and we were really tired at times. But, the Lord brought us through it all, and He taught not only our children some precious lessons, but He also taught Danny and me more great truth about His mercy and grace!

And, by the way, the "academics" were always done! The joy of homeschooling is the kids can do their homework almost anywhere, almost any time. The kids will always remember the hands-on lessons and life skills they received through all this . God is so good!

Thank you for reading my blog, and may God richly bless your family in all the "Real Life Lessons" you face!

Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment! I love your comments and appreciate all of them! God bless you!