Yesterday the girls and I made puddings, pies and breads. As we were finishing up the conversation, of course, came to 'thankfulness'. It was surprising to hear my 15 year old respond so deeply. She was thankful that she was adopted ! During our pre-adoption counseling we were told that in the teens the kids wouldn't want to talk about it because it would make them different and this would most likely be the time they held resentments. My mind was whirling and then she continued with, 'If I weren't adopted I might still be in an orphanage or on the streets or worse, dead! Not only was I adopted into a a fun loving family but one that loves the Lord. I know we're not perfect but I think we're trying to be conformed into His image. I know that God hand picked me to be in this family so I could know Him and I'm very thankful for it." What could I say? Tears streaming down my face I was truly humbled.
This planted a seed of thought in my brain which didn't take root until this morning, early, while putting the turkey in the oven. In essence she is saying that she is thankful for one of the biggest trials in her life thus far, being placed in an orphanage. One of my favorite books of the Bible is James and this makes me think of the trials that it talks about and the "perfect work,.... wanting nothing....". Do I thank the Lord daily for my trials? Not just the broken glass (of which we had 2 yesterday) but the real disturbing or painful trials? The ones that go on for weeks, months or maybe even years? Do I see this as not only God helping me to grow but others also. The molding of a man?
It is easy to thank the Lord for the unexpected check in the mail or finding the lost book etc... but to THANK Him for the trials? Do we remember that the trials are either allowed or ordained by God to help us be "Conformed Into HIS Image"? He is helping us become a better person! If I think back to the heaviest trials in my life I see two things. The first is if I was of heart and mind to deal with it myself and be frustrated it got worse until I was of heart to turn the trial over to God and trust Him then I realize that I wasn't carrying the grief alone. Looking back, those times of trial when I trusted HIM are when I grew the most and became closer to HIM. Isn't that alone reason to be thankful for trials?
This year instead of waiting to make a new year's resolution I'm making a Thanksgiving Day resolution to try to remember to be thankful for the trials! I have an ongoing burden that I can't do anything about but my heavenly Father can. I need to remember that he is at work and I need to be thankful.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving celebration today.
Traditionally, when I was a kid, we had Thanksgiving at my maternal grandparents. Grandma was just a little woman but was spry and full of energy. She was, however, a little obsessive when it came to a clean house. You NEVER went into her house with shoes of any kind on. At one point I spent a few days with her that required me to do some laundry. The washer and dryer were in the basement and when my laundry was dry I brought it up to fold while I visited with her. OOooopss! That, I found out, would spread dust and lint! It was to be folded in the basement! Incidentally, I don't remember ever seeing dust in her house! HHmm
I digress. As the family increased by cousins and more cousins it was necessary for some to eat in the kitchen and others the dining room. The oldest, and therefore they thought, more trustworthy, were the boys. Grandma had a round table and horseshoe shaped bench built into a walled-in area in the kitchen. If you happened to be in the back part and needed to get out either everyone to one side of you had to slide out or you'd hear the infamous, "Crawl Under"! (It was with great relief when I was older and expecting that I was granted the end of the bench!)
Six boys were assigned to sit there. My Mom and aunts all dutifully served their boys and got them situated before settling themselves in the dining room. My Uncle would stand in the doorway to say the blessing. During the blessing my cousin, sitting next to me, decided to sneak a bite of a celery stick. Do you know what a bite of celery sounds like in a quiet room? Do you realize how hard it is as a 7 year old to stifle all the bubbling giggles? Do you realize the "Look" you get when you peek up at your parents? That stifled my giggles real quick! After the blessing we all dug in to a feast that is probably not outdone anywhere else. The normal conversations were taking place and everyone was happy... well for a few minutes until we heard some strange exclamations and 'shushing' from the kitchen area. Apparently one of my male cousins didn't like squash and turnip but in our generation we were told to eat everything on our plates. He, being full of 13 year old wisdom, asked the cousin at the end to grab a big can out of the trash. He proceeded to put this on his lap and scrape the unwanted vegetables into it. Great idea! No one would notice, right? WRONG! Grandma used to take both ends off the can and push the cranberry sauce out whole to slice it nicely! This is the can he had. You know what happened when he filled it and lifted it to pass along!
I was so THANKFUL I wasn't in the kitchen that year. I was also VERY thankful that it was a cousin and not one of my brothers!
Today my WONDERFUL Son and I got to chatting, laughing and bantering over an incident that happened years ago. He mentioned it in his recent blog entry and I commented that I needed equal time if he were to explain HIS side of the story. He suggested that I write an entry with the story from MY perspective and add other Thanksgiving Day memories. I guess that means that if you think this entry is lame you can visit his blog and tell him so OR you can comment on mine and I'll make sure he reads it!!
You know that time in life when, most likely, you are a fairly new wife and even newer Mom and for some reason you find yourself at home with just your WONDERFUL hubby ( now you know where my son gets it) and CHARMING children for the first time for a major holiday? For us I believe it was Thanksgiving. Now I LOVE to cook for others, it is very satisfying to me to see happy, contented faces enjoying food and fellowship. I also am very sentimental. If someone I love or loved enjoyed a certain dish even if they're now deceased I'll still make it -- to remember them by.
So here I was at home making my first Thanksgiving dinner all by myself for my WONDERFUL family of 4. (at the time). I had the 20 lb turkey stuffed and roasting. Potatoes, squash, turnip, onions, peas and sweet potatoes were all cooking. The cranberry sauce, pickles, olives, home-made breads and mulled cider were all on the table. The pumpkin, squash, lemon merignue, mincemeat, cranberry, apple, blueberry, and crumb top apple pies were sitting on the counter next to the Indian pudding, grapenut pudding, bread pudding and cracker pudding. I had the table set with my very best china. I had the festive music playing and some cutesy place decorations set out. I mashed the potatoes, squash etc... and put everything on the table.
It was time. I called my precious family to the table. We all sat and put our matching cloth napkins in our laps. My husband prayed and told us that after we ate he wanted us to list things we were truly thankful for. (After the meal so it wouldn't get cold -- I was thankful for that!)
It was at that moment my WONDERFUL SON looks around at all the food and says, "If it's all the same to you could I have cheerios?"!
Now tell me, how would YOU react????? How would your WONDERFUL HUSBAND react???
I think I'll hold off on the rest of the story until I see what 'reaction comments' say!
I also think I'll add more Thanksgiving memories between now and Thanksgiving.
I'll also be watching YOUR blog for your special memories. Why not ask your children what theirs are..... some of us might be surprised by what they think of when they think of the holidays. Is it the stress and hurry or the true meanings?
I don't know who the author of this is but when I received this I knew it was to good not to share.
A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger He was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to her room and read her books (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.
My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.
I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... and NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?....
We just call him, "TV."
He has a younger sister now, we call her computer!
We now have a mini replica of a guillotine. People are fascinated with it and just seem to want to put their finger in it! Everyone who has seen it automatically puts their finger in it and asks if it will hurt! Now WHY would you do that? Knowing what it is and what it is for, having asked where the blade came from (old hand held nut chopper) and that it may hurt? I wouldn't want to take the chance of a finger being injured. I don't think it would cut it off, it isn't that sharp nor is it weighted but it would hurt your knuckle. Just a thought that hits me every time someone sees it.
The real thought provoking item recently is very sad and very emotional. I have never been in this situation before. A very dear and elderly man, close friend of the family has been incarcerated, for a long time unless the appeal goes well. It is unexpected and although I know the jails and prisons (they are two different institutions) are filled with people who are innocent (so they claim) I find it hard to believe that this man is guilty. Even if he is, the late trial and sentencing don't seem fair or balanced with what generally happens in society now-a-days. His Soc. Sec. doesn't supply him with enough funds to hire a lawyer and he accepted a public defender. He was told there wasn't a case but here we are dealing with a very elderly man facing many, many years.
My heart is heavy, burdened for him and for his wife who is actually a little older than he and has physical handicaps. She is devastated and trying to realize that she may never be with him again in this life. She is trying to deal and make good decisions. Where is our role as a believer in all this? I find that I may have overlooked ministries before. Yes, if someone is guilty, or even found guilty they need to serve time, pay the penalty. What about the "who" that is left behind? Moms, children etc... We have a huge ministry to her, helping her with firewood, rides for shopping, doctors appts. and such not to mention prayer and emotional support. Then comes the ministry to him! He's incarcerated out of state and has been moved already and will be again after 30 days. First we were told we couldn't write or visit. At this point we know that not to be true. I have written and my girls have written. They are devastated also and want to keep writing but didn't know what to say. I suggested that one of them write the beginning of the week and one the end so there would be a steady stream of mail. The one at the beginning writes what happened over the weekend and what they're going to be studying in school followed by the other at the end of the week telling what she learned that week and her expectations of the weekend to come. I try to be uplifting and encouraging not only telling him of everyday events and funnies but sharing what God has shown me in His Word.
What I don't know is what really helps. Does someone in this situation like to hear that life is going on and people are laughing and having fun or does that depress them? These letters are prayed over alot. It is hard too, to realize that we can't send anything other than a money order or stamps.
Recently his wife received her first letter from him and he had written her a poem about his incarceration, his feelings for her and his trust in the Lord. He is disappointed in the judicial system but is trusting in his Savior. It was so encouraging yet so sad. Only God knows for sure the guilt or innocence. I feel that we as Americans assume the courts are always right and justice is being served but remember Paul? Joseph? JESUS? even in our day is Corrie Ten Boom, Peter Romachov (sp?). God is good though, also in the letter he states that his cellmate is a believer and they start with prayer and Bible reading together.
This is a whole new concept for me, the reality of this situation. I know, I live a very sheltered life but I'm still learning. Please, if you think of it, pray for this family, the appeal that we hope is coming and look around, is there a ministry for you to pray about? What are we teaching our children about the widows and fatherless? I've used the excuse that I have to keep my kids safe and this is true but is there a way to show this love? Christ 'hung out' with what we would call 'low-lifes' not for socialization but to minister. Where is that line for you?
Even after about 20 years homeschooling the questions people ask never cease to amaze me but the answers God gives us are even more amazing. "What about socialization?" or "Can they really learn?".
Life has many lessons that every parent and EVERY role model ( yes teens remember the younger ones idolize you!) teach every day. Yesterday I needed to travel about 3 hours one way to take my girls to appointments. I was driving along, at the speed limit in a registered and inspected car talking with the girls about Napoleon and greed when a State Trooper came racing toward us with lights flashing and siren screaming. The line of traffic, which I was at the end of, all dutifully pulled over to give him room even though he was in the oncoming lane. When I was pulling back into the lane and situated I glanced in my rearview mirror to see him pull a "U-ey" ( how does one spell that word?) and come back with lights and siren. We pulled over totally perplexed as to why he was pulling me over.
He got out and approached the car VERY slowly, in "the stance" the whole way. The is about how the conversation went:
"Good morning Ma'am, girls"
"Good morning"
"Where are you coming from"
I state my home town
---he chuckles and smiles rather sheepishly--
"We had an armed robbery in the area and your car matches the description
of the get-a-way car to a T! You're obviously not who we're looking for!
Sorry to bother you."
He started to walk away but I was laughing at the thought of me pulling an
armed robbery with the girls when God showed me an opportunity, so I said,
"Excuse me, can I tell you something?"
"Sure"
"Well, I just wanted to thank you"
"For What?"
"Well you have a thankless and dangerous job and I wanted you to know that
there are people out there that appreciate what you do and are praying for
you, Keep safe today."
"Ah,,,,ah......ah....um.....ummmmm (mouth flapping) ahh well um thank you!"
End of conversation and I thought end of incident.
Now I must tell you, the comment idea wasn't original. We recently had a mission couple stay with us for 5 days while they presented their ministry to our church. He is a retired policeman and has a chaplaincy ministry, teaches a chaplaincy course and also has a program to set-free from addictions. He does this all the time except he stops the police! He'll either stop where they are already stopped (no Donut shop jokes!!!) or signal them to pull over. They think it's a citizen in distress and pull over. He carries his old ticket book with a pamphlet about his experiences (spiritual/emotional) in law enforcement and takes it out while giving the thank you and gives it to them. I didn't have my pamphlets with me but decided to give the thanks anyway.
After we were on our way one of the girls spoke up and said, "I was with Mr. Tim when he did it but I didn't think we'd ever have the opportunity to do that or the courage to stop a policeman." Now, I'd probably never pull one over but I should have the courage to approach one who is getting gas or sitting in wait of speeders!
God taught me that I can have the boldness to speak by giving me this rather bizarre opportunity. He gave my girls the opportunity to see this too but more important he gave me the opportunity to show them that my beliefs and burdens are real and that I act upon them. It reminded me that they watch EVERYTHING we do and get a message from our actions! Whether it is speeding, taking a pen and not returning it, doing things "...decently and in order..." or keeping our priorities in order (ouch) they are watching. What are we teaching?
.....And no, it wasn't me who committed armed robbery. Would I be sitting here typing away if I had got away with large amounts of money? NO, I'd be teaching my kids about ships in the Caribbean!! (I guess I do take unit studies to far!!)
My last entry was about me being accused of extremes in unit studies. But now I ask, who is being extreme? Remember that panicked 11 year old who thought we were going to have to build a piano? Well at the opening of our school year we're studying some French history and working our way into the French Revolution. We are also looking at inventors of the period in U.S. history, Fulton and Eli Whitney. I told them we'd be making a replica of a cotton gin this week. My sweet, ultra petite, cuddley 11 year old pipes up and says, "Aww, can't we make a mini guillotine?"
Our school year is going well. I feel we are getting into the groove pretty well although we have a few things to iron out. So far I am LOVING our new curriculum. No, there isn't anyone paying me to endorse Tapestry of Grace ! I just love it. I'm learning too and that excites me and keeps me motivated.
How about you? How is your 'start-up' going?
And..... incidentally, my hubby is thinking of plans for a mini guillotine! I think I'm going to lose the blade on my nut chopper!!
Have a blessed day training those treasures for HIS Kingdom!
Whenever my two oldest kids (grown and graduated) hear my younger two ask a "Why does..." or "How come...." question they smile and say, "Don't ask Mom that unless you want a unit study." I've pondered this a few times and decided that I don't go to extremes. Recently I've had to rethink that thought! Let me explain.
Both my youngest daughters play a few instruments including the piano. We were sitting at dinner one evening when the 11 yr. old asks a technical question about the piano. I have never played and didn't have a clue as to the answer so I headed for the encyclopedias (yes, kids, they come in hard copy form not just on the computer!) and looked up piano. We found our answer quickly as well as some other interesting facts. Everyone was happy, well for the moment anyway. A few minutes later I said, "You know, you're both very musical, perhaps we ought to do a unit study on the piano, the history of it and learn how it works." My husband chuckled, the 14 yr. old looked thoughtful and the 11 yr old looked frightened as she said, "We aren't going to have to build a piano are we?" I assured her we wouldn't.
I have never thought I went to extremes with my unit studies even though we totally 'grossed out' a woman in our church when we did the chicken unit. For that we took 36 fertilized meat chicken eggs and put them in an incubator. We opened one each day, observed any changes and put it in it's own clear jar of formaldehyde. (We were able to see a beating heart at day 3). On day 21, as expected, the rest of them hatched. We raised them until the designated time for slaughter and put all of them 'in the freezer' except for one whose life was temporarily spared. For our annual year end project fair we displayed the jars, the one live chicken and offered a sample of fried chicken nuggets to munch on while reading the report. The report also included record keeping of cost from egg to dinner. It was a great study and as usual had an unexpected lesson. When does life start? We saw, with our naked eye, a heart beating at day 3............. (incidentally, a local public school heard about this and asked to borrow our jar display!)
Do you think I go to extremes????? Build a piano, yeh right...... hhmmmmm.. well my hubby is a carpenter....... the piano tuner does think we're doing a great thing by homeschooling........................ hmmmmm.......................
:-) have a great day training your treasures for HIS Kingdom.
1) One homeschooling book you have enjoyed ~ Trial & Triumph
2) One resource you wouldn't be without. ~ Tapestry of Grace
3) One resource you wish you had never bought.~
4) One resource you enjoyed last year. ~ Saxon math D.I.V.E.
5) One resource you will be using next year. ~ Tapestry of Grace
6) One resource you would like to buy. ~World Book Encyclopedia on CD
7) One resource you wish existed.~ unlimited Amazon card for, say, $10
8) One homeschooling catalog you enjoy reading.~ Love to Learn
9) One homeschooling website you use regularly~ Tapestry of Grace et al.....
10) How many days under your belt this year? ~ 1 !
Yes, I know... HOW can I be thinking Christmas when we're all swamped with new curriculum, books, planners etc...? Some I know are scrambling to get their kid's school books still. Don't hate me for bringing up the fact that December and Christmas is right around the corner, albeit a very large rounded corner.
I have come to struggle with the holiday. I LOVE Christmas. I LOVE the Lord and all that His birth represents. Its the commercialism, not the hustle and bustle but the stress and phony materialism that comes with it. This year I've 'commenced to think' on how to make it simpler, more enjoyable, memorable, meaningful and less stressful. I have decided on going back to the days of starting early. I used to have my shopping/making all done by October first! Then my wonderful son was born on October first and really messed that all up! I do still love him though! Over the years we've tried different things. One year, being self employed with no work, we told the kids they would be getting three things. They could make a list but it needed to have two categories; things they really wanted and things they really needed. The 3rd category was, "a total surprise". We could pick their total surprise from their other categories or get something they didn't realize they needed or wanted! It worked well but alas, we drifted back into the hubbub of commercialism.
Things are a little tight this year and I decided to sort through patterns and fabrics and organize myself early. (More evidence for MaggieRaye that I'm an organization freak! Come look at my office and you won't think so!) I've even made a couple of things already and have 4 patterns cut out to sew. I'm thinking about other things too. One struggle is what to do for the folks that head south for the winter. I'm coming to detest paying postage! What I spent last year alone on postage should have taken care of the entire Christmas budget! I'm trying to figure out how to make gift cards more personal!
With the melancholy mood that fall brings on I was cutting out fabric yesterday when I received a call telling me about a Christmas present I am to receive! Two plane tickets! Where to you ask? HERE !! I'm not going anywhere, my son and his wonderful wife are coming here! Life has made it difficult for them to be able to get here for Christmas for a while! They're coming for a WEEK!! It is wonderful to be able to think about that as I 'commence to think' about the holidays. Family together sharing, antics going on, plots and plans for practical jokes and just sitting around talking watching the snowfall (hopefully when we're sitting around and not trying to get to the airport) with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. I can smell the tree now!
I am still vowing to keep it simple!
What about you? How do you keep it simple but meaningful? Stressfree? Worshipful?
Happy start of the school year and Merry Christmas!
MaggieRaye is so right ! I haven't updated for a while BUT just when was I supposed to do that?
My regular schedule follows
Monday: 4:00 a.m. get up get hubby breakfast, pack his lunch. Clean up get dressed, see him off, eat, devotions, write girls notes, wake girls leave for work by 5:30 (this job is only temporary to pay off my hospital bill -- it's really cramping my style)
noon:30, get out of work, run to walmart then grocery store. Receive phone call from girls that we need animal grain, off to grain store, stop at health food store OH and stop at MaggieRaye's to drop or pick up stuff.
Drive the hour home, be perky for girls, get something to eat, chat with them and think about dinner. Weed garden, cut out pattern (I'm trying to sew Christmas stuff instead of buying anything this year - got to get a head start) clean house, take walk with girls. Start dinner, get perky to welcome hubby home, clean up cat puke, pat dog (really thanking her for not eating the cat puke) Answer 100 misc. phone calls, emails etc.... (I'm trying to sell curriculum)
This week we could have added in call in 'my kiddo sick to work' after sitting up with her 2 nights in a row. Last night take her to doctor at 10:30 PM. She just wasn't holding her own and ended up needing albuterol and steroids.
THIS morning, help 14 1/2 year old get one of her horses ready to leave. She came to us about a month ago and said that she feels she should part with them. This said through tears we asked why? Her response broke my heart for she has entered 'real life- growing up' but it let me know her character in that she is making wise choices. She feels that upon entering 9th grade she needs to put more into her school work and ministries. She will be taking over jr. church the end of the month as well as doing more of the music for services. She was away for 3 weeks this summer and may also be counseling at a camp next summer. Horses in Maine are enjoyed in summer and fall. Her schedule limits that a lot. She said that although she loves her horses they aren't what she sees for her life and doesn't have the time to enjoy them the way they deserve. She takes excellent care of them but feels that she needs to be able to devote more time to studies and ministries. How can I fault that? We asked her to pray about it for a month and we talked with her on and off. This morning the first one left. I cried ! Both for missing him but mostly for the milestone of growing up for her. I want my little girl back, the one that can play and frolick but she is moving on. Praise God for maturity and seeing what is really important. This is bittersweet but it's what we are striving to train them for. Lots of hugs later she is now playing beautifully on the piano, "God never moves without purpose or plan......."
I thinketh, I need to learn from the child.......................
I should change the name of this entry, it started out to give MaggieRaye a hard time but went into the bittersweet blessing of the day.
I'll babble later!!
We recently returned from one of our annual "Wales Family Camping Trips".
We like remote camping...very remote. We look for places that we have to canoe to and won't see others while we're there! Then we stay there for days --until the food starts running low. This also is a no electricity and sometimes not even an outhouse type place.
This year my older two darling children couldn't join us but my son's best friend and his wife came. We had a really great time. In light of the fact that one of our guests hadn't been camping before (unless you count crowded campgrounds with all the amenities) my wonderful husband built and lugged a nice little "throne" so she wouldn't have to use just a hole. We all have either tans or sunburns and memories of times shared. Even though big brother wasn't with the girls his buddy made sure they got thrown into the water, splashed and otherwised picked on. They wouldn't have it any other way!
The event I want to share though was with one of the dogs. Oh, we also took 2 of our 3 dogs with us. The older golden retriever, Sunshine, amazed me more than usual. Our camp spot was a peninsula that we had to canoe to. On one side there was a huge granite outcropping. It blocked the view but was great to jump off of and into the water. There was also a cave on the water side which made for interesting investigations. I digress. My hubby and I were sitting on the top of the 'cliff' basking in the sun and having prayer time. We were there for about an hour when I decided I needed to climb down and attend to something at the campfire. I had descended about 10 feet on just rock when a snake slithered across my foot! I'm not squeamish but a slithery snake on my bare skin did cause me to let out a scream.
Sunshine came running and I pointed to the snake. She dove at it, grabbed it and shook (more like snapped) her head back and forth so fast she literally broke the snake in two pieces. She looked at the pieces and the larger one was still moving so she grabbed it and shook it more until it too broke! I was speechless! (which doesn't happen much) Sunshine's mom got a stick (she wasn't touching it!) and flicked it away. Sunshine sauntered away and lay down to rest like nothing had happened. My hero was the dog that day!
My youngest daughter can run very fast. She has pencil legs but they can move. An Indian friend of ours has given her a name. I can't remember the tribal spelling but the English version is, "She who Runs with the wind." He has told us that it's not "Runs LIKE the wind" but "WITH". We have now nicknamed Sunshine, "She who kills snakes."
Keep in mind that we live in Maine. We have garter snakes, grass snakes and other non-poisonous snakes but the yarns being spun about this event already have this snake being a 6 foot long rattler! Ahhhhh the fun of camping!
Someone recently asked me why I titled my blog, "This Is The Day" so I thought I'd explain.
Sometimes as a Christian, a human, a servant, a wife, a mom and yes, a homeschool mom, I want to throw my hands up and quit! Yup, me, the one that "KayinMaine' stated, "She's been in this homeschooling gig quite a while."! There are those days.
What I try to remember is that on those days, if I just 'Be still' for a brief moment my wonderful Savior will remind me that "This is THE day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Those days, these days and even this day, they are all days the the Lord has made, allowed us to continue. HE has a plan and purpose for this day and this moment. We need to take the moment to see if we can know what it is or if we need to trust. Hear that? TRUST ! (that note is to myself!)
The next step is to realize that if He has a purpose we need to work with Him and trust Him to show us how to handle 'those moments'.
Take your next frustrating day, moment and pause, look at the situation and remember that God has a purpose and we need to do His work even if it seems no one else is!
I just finished reading Karen Kingsbury's, "Like Dandelion Dust". Having two adopted children I literally lost sleep over this book. This morning I decided to take time to finish it and have been crying ever since. Although it is a novel there are many 'truisms' in it for us to think about. If you struggle with trust (is that like saying, 'if you breathe'?) I recommend this to you when you have a leisurely day (ya right) to read.
Remember, "This IS the day......" How can we glorify God through it?
Have a blessed DAY!
Okay, maybe I'm old fashioned but I'm very quickly coming to detest cell phones! Actually I have a cell phone and I find it handy so I guess it's really rude cell phone users I have a problem with. It seems like there is a generation out there that thinks the more they talk on their cells, or the more calls they receive the more impressed the general public with be with them! I'm not! Anyone can get a call what does that prove? Now if I were in a restaurant and President Bush called the person in the booth beside me, well, I might be impressed ..... as long as he took it outside!
I can understand some people having their phone with them inside a public place but PLEASE put it on vibrate and when it rings answer it quietly saying, "I'm in a public setting, please hold while I exit the building." I carry mine, usually only in my car unless I have needed to leave my kiddos at home. If this is the case then I will take it inside with me in the event of an emergency but will answer it and tell them to talk to me while I exit the place I'm at. I won't talk to them or say, "WHAT? I can't hear you!" until I am in a more private setting. (The exception to this is when you're at a homeschool curriculum sale and have just found what your friend maggieraye is looking for)
I've had guests over for dinner who felt that they had to bring their cell phone in with them! I asked why one time and got an incredulous stare, "Well, what if someone needs me?" What did we do before cell phones? How about before answering machines? Yes, Maggieraye, I remember only having one phone in the house and that was a rotary dial!
In light of this post where I choose to publicly air my distress, I recently received an email that I found rather thoughtful. Tell me what you think!
"I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to get it if we left without it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we depended on it more than anything?
This is something to make you go....hmmmm. where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing, Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill! "
Now I hope you do most of the things listed above but you get the point. Perhaps when facing a person in public being loud talking on his cell phone we should pull out our Bible and start reading scripture as loudly as they are talking!
Okay, that probably wouldn't fulfill the verse about being "Wise as serpents and harmless as doves"!
Have a blessed day ---- Do you hear me now?
Okay, I'm really please with my accomplishments this week. I've double tagged about 150 books for the curriculum sale. That's, "their tags" with info to be filled out on each one and taped on just so, not my little torn off corners of stickers. I've caught up all the laundry which includes my 14 year old's clothes from a week at camp. The dishes are done, the house in in fairly good order. ( I need to vaccum still) My garden is looking pretty good and someone even complimented it this week. I've written to an overseas missionary, called my mom, tried to encourage others, prayed for the folks that have called with prayer requests, which there were a LOT this week. Taken special time with my 14 year old, paid a few bills, filled out forms, worked on my year planner for the fall school year etc... etc..... BUT I'm not proud. Just about the time I could pat myself on the back ( notice that problematic word? "mySELF") I was trying to recognize what I was still hungering for. No, it wasn't a hot fudge sundae!
I have prayed this week but my time alone with the Lord was lacking. I kept planning on getting that time but gaining all my accomplishments got in the way. My tasks weren't sinful, they were important but my priority list was askew.
This morning the Lord woke me early. Early considering the fact that hubby is working away and the youngest munchkin is at camp (I really miss her) so I could have slept past 6:00 ! He woke me gently, to birds singing and sunshine but the message was clear. "Here is your time" He said to me. I realized what it was, just a couple days away was to much. I chose to obey, not out of guilt or hoping for good things to happen but because I WANTED, DESIRED, CRAVED, that time alone. A massage of my heart.
During my time with my beloved Savior, after confessing my busyness, He gave me a picture. I was like the kerosene lamp that we keep handy for power outages. They glow brightly when taken care of but if we don't feed the wick properly or trim it right they smoke. The smoke of itself isn't the calamity it's the black on the glass chimney. That black (my busyness) blocks out the glow of my Savior within. The light is bright but it can't show forth the way it is intended.
How long have I known this? How many times have I counseled others on priorities? How long have I sang and then taught others to sing, "Let your little light shine?" It's not "Let your light shine a little". I need to make sure my light, the Lord within, is shining to it's fullest potential.
The confession hurts me because I realize that even though I was doing what seemed necessary I wasn't doing what was BEST. It is an ongoing lesson for us to remember.
I'm praying for myself and other homeschool moms that for the remaining days of this summer we'll ferverently pray for increased wisdom with our priorities. It's the only way to accomplish what CHRIST has for us to do this year.
I hope you all have a blessed day training your treasures for HIS Kingdom!
Over the past few months I've heard moms in stores and other places comment on how they hate summer. Comments like:
"Summer means I have to entertain my kids."
"Why can't school go through the summer?"
"Is it legal to send them to camp for the entire summer?"
I admit, I cringe and pray for God to put His hand over my mouth. This also shows what a GREAT God we serve because sometimes covering my mouth isn't an easy task! 
I'm sure if I started to say what was on my mind I'd be in trouble. I'm not afraid of making a comment hoping it will make someone think but sometimes when I'm passionate about a topic I'm afraid my thoughts will run away 
from the message the Lord might have me to share. The bigger problem is that lately I've been hearing this from homeschool moms! This really disturbs me. This week I've read 2 articles in homeschooling publications where the author comments on bickering and bored kids! HOW, may I ask does a child become bored? Perhaps occassionally at a loss of what to do but bored?
My husband and I have taught our children that boredom is a sin. Think about it. Saying you're bored is saying that nothing appeals to YOU! Sounds selfish and discontented to me! I am a bit older than a lot of my homeschooling friends but I grew up without electronic toys, before VCR's etc.... I read, played with my dog, helped my parents, went swimming, rode my bike, baked for other people etc... I remember sitting outside under some pine trees and building pine needle towns. My mom would join me and we'd make up all types of people, villages etc.... She would disappear (back to household chores no doubt) and I'd continue on making fences, imaginary horses out of twigs etc... We weren't allowed to watch TV during the day and only a show or two at night. Hey, I know I don't allow mine to watch that much but I'm talking about back in the days when "Dennis the Menace" and "Leave It To Beaver" were NOT re-runs! (okay maggieraye and KayinMaine- keep the age comments nice, remember I know where you live!)
When my children tell me they're bored (which has only happened once per child) I explain that discontent is sin and then proceed to give them something to do. It's amazing how interesting other things become when you're faced with some lovely spring cleaning task!
Bickering. Ahhhh Is there anyone who isn't faced with it at some point? My oldest two didn't start bickering until high school ! Then, I was to realize later, it was because of selfishness and a little bit of rebellion on the part of one that the other didn't understand.
My two youngest have recently started to bicker. One of them is entering 9th grade and the other 6th. These three years weren't a big three years prior to this but now the 9th grader has put away her childhood toys and is onto more serious types of play. Once I recognized what was happening I discussed it with my 9th grader and explained to her that her sister actually had hurt feelings because the 9th grader didn't want to play with her. She was shocked that her sister felt this way and said that she just didn't feel like playing little kid games. This is all completely natural and because she loves her sister she will play her games and also look for ways to make it more interesting for herself. We discussed how she will need these skills as a Mom someday (Lord willing) and is practicing them now.
There is usually a reason behind bickering and if you can find it you can usually stop it. Often selfishness, wanting ones own way, is the root cause but does the child see this? Change is another reason but does he/she recognize why things have changed? Normal changes in life can change ones outlook. It is a lot easier as a Mom to look for these things rather than be at the kids all the time to stop.
If you're dealing with bickering children, stop and ask the Lord to give you discernment today on the root of the problem. Remember in James where he tells us that if we ask for wisdom God will give it to us abundantly!
Have a WONDERFUL summer with your treasures from God!
Yesterday my wonderful hubby needed me to work with him. He is a carpenter and recently contracted a job where he has to remove all the non-burnables so the excavator can come in and demolish then burn the existing structure. This usually isn't something I do but he was suppose to be only one day away from another job and it is summer so he offered me the job. (More school books! amazon -here I come!)
When I walked into the house I thought, "70's, granola, solar passive, back to earth, do it yourself etc..." (I'm NOT knocking this lifestyle, in many ways it's me. We were building our home in the 70's) It was an interesting structure, warm (even in winter I bet) but lots of wasted space. Although it was good sized there were NO bookcases or space for a school room! Can you imagine?
We were trying to take out the windows without breaking them at least until they landed in the dumpster. Trying to do this proved a challenge. As we were removing the trim, the framework, the caulking, more caulking, insulation, more caulking and nail, nails, nails then more insulation and caulking I 'commenced to think' about the care this builder put into making sure there weren't any drafts or leaks from his home-made windows. He knew windows and draft prevention. He put in two pieces of heavy glass for each window. Some of these windows were 8 ft high. Some of the windows were thick plate glass. I don't imagine any warm air found it's way outside in the winter. He had window quilts too to make sure his windows were efficient. Needless to say it made our job quite difficult, more difficult than usual.
This man knew windows but other areas of the house were very faulty. Plumbing, for instance, anywhere there was a pipe there were water stains. Design rather lacked too. As I thought about the legacy this builder left behind it caused me to think about what we leave behind. This man knew windows, that was his strength. His weaknesses were obvious too. What are we doing as homeschool moms and wives to ensure our legacy is that which is honoring to the King of Kings? Are we strong in academics but weak in manners that would show respect to others? Are we forgetting to reach out to our neighbors because we're so busy within our homes? Do we put so much time planning our school year/time and working with our children that we neglect our spouse? Our actions and respect for our spouse teach our children the importance we place there.
I don't know who the original builder of the house is but I know that he knew windows. What will people know about us? Will they know that we love the Lord? That we gave up the "wonderful career" to raise our children for His Kingdom?
I think of the verse in 3 John 4 which says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." This is a tough verse because God gives our children free-will the same as He does us. He doesn't want puppets on strings. He wants us because we want to serve, because we love Him. Are we praying for our children enough as we diligently strive to train them for His Kingdom?
Homeschooling in and of itself will not guarantee our children to turn out 'right' but our actions and lifestyle will tell the story of our purpose.
Will our legacy be "She loved homeschooling" or will people see our purpose and say, "She Loved the Lord"?
What is your legacy going to be? What evidence is your life leaving behind?
Monday, July 3rd I spent 14 hours on the road taking my 14 year old to camp. When I woke Tuesday the 4th to my 11 year old wanting to go to the parade thoughts of being in the car dampened my enthusiasm. Being "Mom" means sometimes putting aside what I want and being excited about what they want. "Is there a need here?" I asked myself. Yes, the need being to teach my child to celebrate and be grateful for the freedoms our country has.
While preparing to travel to the parade route I "commenced to think" about 'The 4th'. We here in America live in a free country. True, we are losing some of those freedoms but we still have more than any other country and need to take advantage of the 4th of July to look at what we have, where we are and where we've come from.
We have the right to: live where we choose, work where we choose, homeschool, public school or private school, the college of choice, vote, run for office, gripe about those who did run for office, hire lawyers while making lawyer jokes (hopefully Scott Somerville will forgive that comment!) go to parades to pass out literature of just about any kind...... Ah, passing out literature of any kind, therein lies the irony that got me to blog!
As we stood watching the parade with our very dear friends (KayinMaine), the kids were collecting the candy, covering their ears when the firetruck sirens went off, laughing over the silliness of some of those in the parade, a woman walked over from the parade line and tried to hand us some literature. She was saying something about using military the right way but not for war, but to find the best most powerful way to keep peace. I must interject that one of the guys (remaining unnamed) touched her elbow and said something to the effect of, "I agree with you, we need to have the best, most powerful way to keep the peace and it's called top-rated firepower." I don't think she appreciated that.
Whether we agree with her or with him the irony of her using the celebration of our country's independence was enormous. We didn't arrive at July 4, 2006 with the freedom to complain and call our country corrupt, in public, without war and blood shed. It is so important to stress to our children 'how' we got these rights and to show the respect to those who, whether they wanted to go or not, heeded the call of their country to fight for our freedoms and those of others less fortunate.
Next time you're at a parade stress to your children the importance of saluting the flag as it passes or when you see a veteran wearing one of 'those' hats thank him/her for their sacrifice. We need to TEACH our children our history through our actions. Do we drone on and on about our freedoms and how great they are or do we show them how grateful we are for them? Then thank God for the freedoms we have in our country and use them fight for them before we lose them!
Okay, Amazon is very handy especially with the direct link from "Tapestry of Grace" BUT what is the easiest way to keep track of all the charges? I've usually only bought one or two books at a time and just entered the total in my check book. Now that I'm getting "hundreds" (not really but my kids think so) each seller charges separately. This is very confusing when one attempts to balance their checkbook! Any suggestions besides just having a separate checkbook for Amazon purchases that you don't balance?
Thanks in advance.
Well, by some miracle my new "Tapestry of Grace" curriculum arrived alot sooner than expected. I was concerned about my sanity if I had to "...Let patience have her perfect work...". Now, my husband is worried about my sanity! It is really exciting to see what I had envisioned for years organized and in print!
My advice to anyone else taking on this endeavor in the fall, DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PREPARE YOURSELF!
Actually as homeschool parents we shouldn't procrastinate anyway no matter what curriculum God leads you to use. That in itself is a poor example to our children. If we are to train our children to apply the scriptures ("....decently and in order... , "A workman worthy....") the teacherolemodeleaderesponsibleadult (how do you like that blend?) should be doing the same. OUCH! I'm not always on top of things either but the Lord has really shown me some areas in which I need to change my priorities. Whether we like it or not our children are going to not only pick things up from the world but more importantly learn the unspoken messages we are teaching.
Monday:
"Hey Mom, are we doing school today?"
"I don't think so, I'm feeling a little loggy today."
Tuesday:
"Hey Mom, are we doing school today?"
"No, we're going to see so and so, won't that be fun?"
Wednesday:
"Hey Mom, are you going to be able to help me with math today?"
"Sure! Just a minute while I set this bread." phone rings, bread needs attention again, etc....
Thursday
"Hey Mom, can you help me with my math?"
"Love to honey, just a few minutes until I finish preparing my Sunday school lesson."
Friday,
Mom: "Let's see, oh, today you have a math test. I hope you studied!"
Okay, that's a little extreme but I know I have thought or heard myself saying or thinking these things. What message is that giving our children? Sure, setting the bread to rise is important but shouldn't we have done it a few minutes before? Are we sending a message to them that every phone call or ladies meeting or even church work is more important than helping them?
We need to teach them flexibility and benevolence but keep the focus on the importance of priorities. If Grandma Jones falls on the ice yes, we need to go help her but If Grandma Jones calls and wants to talk about her childhood (which would be impossible in less than 12 hours) we need to ask her perhaps to start writing titles of her stories down and then work out a project for our kids to interact with her stories for a writing/history assignment. This idea incidentally is a lot of fun. There is a world of knowledge and wisdom in the older generation. They are not useless. I miss my Grandparents and their stories so much. I find myself remembering those stories and thinking of the rewards, consequences and laughs.
We also need to let them know that although their education is priority that they don't rule the home. We as parents and couples are important! Time out for dinner as a couple or even with a friend for lunch is essential once in a while. I find that every now and again I need time alone. Alone with the Lord (that won't be interrupted hearing 'oh-oh' etc...) and time to re-group and think. We need to make sure that they don't see the homeschool sacrifice as them being of primary importance and breed selfishness.
When we homeschool we don't get much of this time. I find it very difficult to shop for gifts and to sew for my children's surprise gifts. When I go out to town (the nearest Walmart is about an hour away) it is usually planned around a music lesson or appointment for one of the girls. Weekends include the whole family and also church. Even homeschool group meetings with other ladies usually involves bringing your children. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my children. But finding that time to expand my thoughts - and not lose them to interruptions can be difficult.
Some of my solutions are:
Walks - good for the body, mind and soul (if everyone doesn't decide to join you, I mean, how can you say no?)
Tea time. Make 'tea' (hot choc. juice etc... but still in tea cups) with a special treat for the kids and sneak away for yours.
Yes, occassionally I have even skipped a church service! I don't make a habit of this but I do make sure to spend time with the Lord and listen! No one thinks we'll be home so no phone, no company etc.... Of course one of my children once said, "Yup no one thinks you'll be home so the only ones you have to worry about is burglars!" THAT will prevent us from using this 'get-away' moment to often!
Ask hubby to help you plan this alone time. While it is becoming a habit he will see that it makes you a better Mom and Wife! (they like that!)
The day my new curriculum arrived I was driving 5 hours to the airport and back. I arrived home shortly after midnight and was expecting a missionary family to arrive the next morning. How does one politely devour their new treasure while hosting a couple with grown and married children? I'd peek once in a while but we fellowshipped a lot. After they left the peeking ended and the devouring began!
Now, although we will take days to the beach, camping, hiking, going to museums etc.... I will be planning and writing out my thoughts and 'self-suggestions' on our next year. I KNOW that some of the plans won't happen or won't work as I envision them, that's okay but we'll keep plugging and have fun while we keep learning.
Take the time to relax, enjoy your summer and family but still be thinking about field trips and ideas to strengthen weaknessess and enhance strengths.