Even though I'm tired(I'm always tired, seems like) I must continue to keep in focus and on my lips God's word that says I can do all things thru Christ who strengtheneth me.

My father in law(FIL) passed suddenly last Tuesday.  What an awful day for us and for my husband's family.  Even though I am married to their brother my in-laws are just like family to me so I wept and sobbed with them and for them. 

So our house was the 'gathering place' for my in-laws and their extended family.  We received a generous outpouring of condolences from people who knew my FIL and his family.  The entire week we hosted people(family and friends) everyday.  Along with the condolences people brought food, food, and more food.  It was so touching to see that so many people cared about our grief and time of mourning.

So we buried him on this past Monday(2/27/2006).  He was 68 and the coroner seems to feel that he had a heart attack.  He was a smoker so the fire chief has concluded that he dropped the cigarette and that started a blazing fire in his part of the house.

So needless to say our homeschool was interrupted by death.  At the funeral service though, we had a grand ole time in the Lord praising God that my FIL is with Jesus and he does not have to contend with this 'sin-suit' of a body.  He has shed that now and is a peace and God has made him whole. 

We had no idea that he would pass like that.  I don't think my in-laws even knew how weak his heart was.  I know I did not.

So there were questions to answer from my dd6 about death and what happens to the body when you put it in the ground, etc. 

I don't quite know how to record that in my report to the school district.  As far as I'm concerned learning has happened in these past 2 weeks.  It's just not academic, meaning falling in the boundaries of reading, writing, spelling, math, history, geography, music, art, etc. 

I doubt they even care about my children learning that death is a part of life.  All they want is for the child to spend 5 hours a day doing schoolwork for 180 days within the confines of the academic subjects.

Oh well, such is life. 

God is still good. 

Psalm 115:16(Amplified)  says

Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones).

I praise God for His strength in getting us thru these past 2 weeks and for getting us thru the coming days, weeks, and months as we pass my FIL's house going about doing errands and knowing he is not there....but finding solace in the fact that he is with the Lord and we will see him again.....