I've been sortof dreading it--the big 4-0 -- as it's loomed. It sounds so old. I used to think that people who were forty were so . . . mature. Somehow even the word "forty" just oozes stability, steadiness, solidity. It seems that a person who is forty should be sure of themselves--never doubt, never vacillate, never question their decisions or options for behavior. At forty, I thought, surely one would be done with becoming.
And yet, it's not so.
I'm more steady, certainly. Not flipping from boyfriend to boyfriend, trying to find "the one," as I did at twenty. And I'm definitely more sure of myself, less likely to struggle to squeeze into someone else's vision of what my life should look like, as I did at thirty. Progress . . . yes, there has definitely been progress. It hasn't been easy or painless, but progress has come.
Maybe I've earned forty.
It feels different than I thought it would. There are new mountains to climb. Over the years I've managed to gain the proverbial "five pounds per child," which must be left behind so I can enjoy the second half of my life. My eldest son has graduated and the second is hot on his heels, dragging us all out into new waters to navigate--strange waters, where I'm uncertain of exactly which star to head for and how deep I can put in my oar. A new family business offers prospects and challenges still being defined on many fronts. Opportunities to write come as welcome open doors yet beg the question . . . "Who am I exactly, and what do I have to say that's worth listening to?" My children are growing up faster than I'd imagined possible, and it seems that in many ways they themselves are new people whom I must learn to relate to every day.
The becoming continues.
In the center of it all, of course, one thing is the same: God, Himself. It is incredibly comforting to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He who is the Director of my life is the familiar Friend who has been with me through it all. He's not surprised by today's challenges, scared of the obstacles I haven't seen yet, or shocked at the besetting sins we've yet to conquer. The one determination I've made--indeed, the only one it seems right to make--is this: that in the next forty years, I must decrease that He might increase. I pray that He'll keep chipping away, shaping me into Jesus' image so that I can fulfill the purpose He created me for . . . to reflect His glory to the world.
I pray that at forty, there's starting to be at least a little resemblance.
We had a lovely day today at the corn maze! Even if Levi was the only one in our family who actually went *through* it. These pics came from my phone, so forgive the size! Here's how the girls had fun . . .
Yes, that's a giant bucket of corn kernels! And then there was Micah, shown here here with Zach practicing his parkour skills . . .
and this is how Levi celebrated making it through the corn maze with his friends . . .
Josiah loves hay, too, apparently; especially as something to climb on . . .
Wow, look how little he looks! I'm not sure why the size difference . . . oh well!
And here's how Baby spent most of his morning . . .
He loved taking it all in from the ring sling! Cutie pie!
We missed having dad with us this year, and I know he missed riding the cow train . . .
I've been praying for quite awhile about another avenue to pursue for writing. Today is the first day of a new venture--writing for Heart of the Matter Online! If you've not seen their website before, you will love this find--great articles on tons of ideas, issues, and products for homeschool families! Here's an excerpt to hopefully whet your appetite!
When I was a kid attending public school, there sure were a lot of papers to deal with. Math homework and essays for English, report cards and assignment sheets, all flew to and fro in a forest- obliterating frenzy. It's a wonder we have any softwoods left nowadays, as the hauling of paper from school to home and back again continues unabated for today's generation of schoolchildren, who have had to add wheels to their backpacks just to deal with the situation without consulting a chiropractor. While some of the papers were handed back to the teacher with hesitation (the research paper we left 'til the night before) and some with glee (that French exam we'd been studying for all semester) my favorites were always of a different sort . . . permission slips.
I know there must be other parents out there who use Veritas Press History cards. We use them as part of our Classical Conversations curriculum. Of course, dads always have their own take on things. So here it is: Rob's Timeline!
*Homer invents Egypt *Birth of Santa *First New Second Testament*Joni marries Chachi *The Easter Bunny Converts to Christianity *The Unification of Hulk Hogan and Randy the Macho Man Savage *Herbie Hancock Releases a New Single *Acid Rain *Moses Builds the Ark *The Twelve Lords A Leaping *John Denver Sings with Kermit
I'm sure we'll be adding more in the coming weeks.
Sunday mornings have become a bit hectic since the newest baby joined our family. In addition to that . . . addition, my husband also became a Sunday morning 9th-grade boys' Life Group leader, which means he has to be at the church by 9 am. Now, I freely admit that part of our joy on Sunday mornings lies in the fact that our church is a mere 7 minutes from the house, and since the second service (which we always attended) doesn't begin until 10:30, we don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn and rush to get there. Since Life Groups started this fall before I was ready to return to church with the baby and myself, this new responsibility necessitated him bringing all the other children with him every Sunday in order for them to get to church--quite an endeavor for one dad!
In the ensuing weeks we came up with a plan, and now it's become fairly simple to get everyone up, dressed, shoe-d (hey, there's a thought--wouldn't it be great if kids' shoes could be made permanent, like a horse's, so we wouldn't have to hunt shoes every Sundayday minute? I may be on to something . . . ) Takes a lot of work, but it's doable. So anyway, I shoo them all out the door by 8:40 and then I have until 10:15 to get myself and the baby ready to go, then drive to church to join them for the second service.
Last week, Nicholas was very fussy all morning after they left and I could *not* put him down in order to get ready. I was resigned to the fact that there was no way we could make it. Finally, he calmed down enough for me to put him in his swing. Glancing at the clock, I decided to go for it. 15 minutes later I was all ready to go. I raced to the swing and picked him up . . . just in time to catch him spitting up all over his outfit and everything within range. Since it was 10:37 at that point, I considered myself defeated and we stayed home for the morning.
This Sunday morning was typical. I was actually thinking that preparing everyone else and not having to worry about myself was a great plan--I'd put in ponytails, found socks, and filled the diaper bag still in my own jammies. No spitup emergencies. I even had a cute scarf to try wearing in a new way. The baby did cry for the last 5 minutes of our ride to church (ugh!) but Daddy met us at the door and took him while I parked the truck and came inside. Papa and Magu were there to meet us, which was a fun surprise. I'd arrived a minute too late to run around and greet friends, but that was fine; I found a spot on the end (just in case!) and Rob settled next to me with the baby on his shoulder.
We sang. The music was great. I kept glancing over to see if the baby was going to start fussing for me. One song . . . two. He fell asleep. Ahhhh. For some reason, loud noises put him right out. Looked around to see where my son and his friends were sitting. Finally found them, and noted the guy who's trying to snag one of his friends was sitting next to her, which made me giggle.
Wow, the keyboard sounds great. I love this song. Is the baby still asleep? I wonder if the sweet girl I've been praying for found a ride this morning? Do Magu and Papa like the service? Oh, we're having communion. Seems like it's been a long time. Wow, they're serving from the back of the room, and while the pastor has been sharing about communion they're almost to the front before you notice them . . . nice. The platter is passed. I take a piece of bread. I'm so glad we don't use the peel-open communion sets I've seen in other churches that made me feel like I was having church in a drive-through. Is baby still asleep? The pastor says, "Jesus broke the bread, and blessed it, saying, 'Take, eat . . .'" I put the piece in my mouth, bite down . . .
Surprise.
Tears come to my eyes. Music begins. This is His body. He, the Perfect One, the One Who loved me while I was yet (yet?) a sinner. Jesus . . . His body was broken for me. In advance. Before it all . . . before all my mistakes, all my blatant disregard for His law, before all the needs I would have. He was there, in that moment, as He had been throughout eternity. I remembered.
59. a pink streaked evening sky
60. all night grocery stores
61. chubby wrists
62. moms willing to share their stories so we don't feel alone
63. chat with my distant son, even when it's brief
64. communion
65. kids' healthy friendships
39. Lit sidewalks for night time walks
40. Baby smile therapy
41. A husband that makes me laugh
42. Smart children
43. An old friend who is a great encourager
44. Paper and ink style letters
45. Apple cake with maple cream cheese frosting
46. Grocery stores filled with whatever you want
47. Too many toys
48. Kids who like to listen to bedtime stories
49. Hot tea and sugar
50. Legal homeschooling
51. The abundance of curriculum, advice, and help available for homeschool moms
52. Gliding rocker and ottoman
53. Roses overflowing the sidewalk
54. Opportunities
55. Being an American citizen
56. My wonderful pastor
57. Mozart
58. First voicings from my littlest one
I heard a lot of smooching going on in the baby's general direction, and came over to investigate.
Savannah looked up and said, very seriously, "I'm not even married yet, and I kissed Nicholas on the lips. Because little kids can do that to babies . . . if they love them."
In a few weeks, I'll turn forty. How do you spell that, anyway? Whenever I think of that number, I never know whether it should really be forty or fourty. No, fourty doesn't look right, LOL! Okay, so now we've learned something!
I used to think 40 was very, very old. Then, I thought it was pretty old. Then I thought that perhaps when I turned 40, at least I'd be really mature. Now I'm about to turn 40, and I know that one's not true! I do think I'm much more wise, though, than I used to be at say, 20 and even 30. No gray hairs yet (and I do get highlights, so perhaps we just won't notice them, right?) but the diminishing of emotional drama, extra-stupid mistakes, and perfectionism must count for something.
God has been incredibly good to me. I don't find myself thinking much about being *older,* though the thought that OTHER PEOPLE will think I'm "old" doesn't thrill me. Mostly, I'm noticing that I seem to be longing for change.
It started when I began decluttering my house over the summer. When I began picking paint colors and taking things down from the walls, I found myself enjoying empty space much more than ever before. The absence of visual activity is really pleasing me lately! I've changed the colors of every wall I've been able to get my hands on, and have plans for the rest of them, too. That was fun. The furniture is almost all in different spots, too. And since we have a new baby in the house, our school year is much different than last year--Daddy is taking the kids to Classical Conversations on Tuesday mornings while I stay home with the littlest two, and Zachary is attending their Challenge II program which is definitely just that--a challenge! Bo is still in Brasil for another month and a half, and I am more of a stay at home mom than I've been in the past couple of years as I enjoy the newest addition, often during hours I used to attend church services!
But I've also been thinking a lot about having a need to express myself or something. This blog was neglected for awhile while I occupied myself with the house and getting ready for baby. Now that it's fall and he's here, there's more time for sitting (and nursing) . . . and thoughts of things to write about are running through my head like crazy. I have to type one-handed many a time, but I've enjoyed pouring out what's inside once in awhile. I've come across a couple of new opportunities that I'm really excited about; one is writing articles once in awhile for Rosetta Stone's eNewsletter, and one is doing the same for Heart of the Matter Online . I just wrote my first article for HOTM, which will come out on October 22nd. Exciting stuff!
I'm also considering taking a college class or two. Crazy, hmm? It's always been a goal of mine to earn a Doctorate in Theology (there, I said it in public!) and I do believe I'll do it one day . . . but when to fit it in, LOL? Well, if I start now I may only be able to manage one or two classes at a time and it will take forever, but at least I'll be further along than if I don't ever start. I am anxious to get that going; it will probably be January before I can actually do it but it will be wonderful to start the process.
We're so looking forward to having all our chicks back in the nest in a few weeks (don't tell Bo I called him a "chick"--I did use a "k" in there.) His absence is quite noticeable and I know his friends are missing him, too! Rob plans to head to Brasil in a few weeks for a visit, which I'm sorry to say I'm begrudging him since I REALLY want to go, myself. They'll have a wonderful time, I'm sure. What an adventure!
So in the meantime, meals are made, books are read, floors are swept, secrets shared. We are enjoying life as it is, knowing how quickly things change and how blessed we are to be together day in and out. Hope your school year has been a wonderful one, so far!
(*My son wanted a copy of this story for his CC presentation tomorrow, and it made me giggle to re-read it. Thought I would reprint it here since it first ran several years ago and some of you might need a laugh!*)
One morning, my kids were playing outdoors while I cleaned the kitchen. My youngest son, who was two at the time, came in and announced, "Mom, I put Rusty in the hole."
"Oh?" I asked, casually continuing to wipe a plate.
"Yeah, he's in the hole."
"Okay," I said. I wasn't really alarmed, because the kids played with the hamster all the time.
Soon the older boys came in, and Levi shared the news that he'd put Rusty in the hole. "What hole?" they asked him.
And then the trouble started.
"In the car," Levi said.
"THE CAR? Where in the car?"
"In the hole," he patiently explained, a little louder this time, as if we were all idiots.
"Okay, guys, lets go see where he is," I said, and we all trooped out to the car. Levi went around back, and pointed . . .to the tailpipe.
"He's in there," he said.
For the next two hours, we tried to get him out. We talked to him. We tried banging on the pipe. Once or twice we saw his little pink nose, but the pipe was too small for me to reach my hand in to get him. I put some hamster food at the end of the pipe. Then we tried cereal. I should have tried calling the pizza delivery hamster who used to deliver to his "pad" in the hall closet. Anyway, after a couple of hours, we had to run an errand in our other vehicle. Afraid he'd escape only to be eaten by a neighborhood cat, I taped off the end of the tailpipe with some masking tape. (Yes, I left some space so air could get in--what do you think I am, stupid?) When we returned, the food we'd put in was gone, but the masking tape was still there, so apparently Rusty was, too.
By the time my husband returned from work it was dark out, and Rusty was still in the tailpipe. I was starting to worry, and the kids were pretty frantic. We couldn't think of anything else to try. Then, Daddy had a brilliant idea:
Start the car.
At this point, I was convinced that we'd never get him out anyway, and he'd get stuck somewhere up in the engine or something, and with it being hot here and all, well . . .it wasn't going to be pretty.
My middle child (the actual owner of the hamster) stood behind the car holding a kitchen strainer. The other kids stood on either side, looking on in trepidation. I went inside because I couldn't bear to watch. Daddy got in the car and started it.
Out shot Rusty, flying over and six feet past the strainer. He landed at the end of the driveway, dazed and covered in soot. His little hamster eyes were looking at us, like, "What on earth was that???"
The boys brought him in to me with their hands black from the powdery ash covering him. I knew we couldn't leave all that stuff on him, so I put him in the sink and broke out the strawberry-scented Suave shampoo. In the sink, he shrank to one quarter of his normal size and looked like, well, a drowned rat, honestly. So to add insult to injury, I blew him dry with my hair dryer.
Rusty was never really the same after that, though remarkably he did live for another several years. He mostly stayed home and ran on his wheel. Apparently, he'd seen enough of the world.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (New American Standard Bible)
8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
9as it is written,
"HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."
10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
11you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
We've been having some great talks around here in the mornings about gratefulness and what it looks like, and this was the Scripture scheduled in our daily devotional the morning I started my 1000 gifts list--don't you love it when God does that? :-) I was thinking last night about this list I've started, and something occurred to me: we often sit and think through what we're grateful for. You know the drill--you're in Bible study and the question is asked, or at Thanksgiving when you go around the table before dinner. There are lots of things in life we know we're "grateful" for.
Somehow, though, making this list feels different to me. Because it's not supposed to be a list of things I'm grateful for (yawn,) it's to be a list of the giftsGod gives me. While I'm cerebrally aware that everything in my life comes from God's hand, somehow thinking of the details as gifts causes a different sort of awareness of that fact. Maybe because when I say, "Lord, thank you for this gift you've given me," I'm acknowledging that the specific thing I'm thankful for didn't just come into my life because I was in the right place at the right time, or because I worked really hard, or because a friend chose to bless me, or because I just happened to be born in America. The baby in my arms, a thank-you card from my son, and yesterday morning's fog are all gifts, directly from my Daddy's hand.
How's your list coming?
23. baby coos
24. a friend to chat with in the nursing moms' room
25. cinnamon brooms
26. watching my friend's kids grow up--and loving them
27. my daughter's gratefulness
28. a teen who gets up early to complete schoolwork
"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright, I will show the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23
It's funny how for me, fall feels like such a major time of renewal. Doesn't match the season at all--I mean, fall is when the year is starting to go to sleep, right? The trees put on their multi-colored coats, perennial flowers tuck themselves in for a yearly nap, even the horses' coats get shaggy in preparation for the death-time of winter. But that's not what happens in my house.
Maybe it's a common thing for homeschoolers especially to feel as I do. Fall brings with it the beginning of our new year. It's new curriculum, new books, new pencils and paper and inks. New planners, full of empty spaces for all the wonderful plans we have rolling about in our summer-emptied minds, free of mistakes and white-out and scribbled-over ideas we never got around to trying. Of course *that* part of fall starts before the official one on the calendar for most of us. Still, I find it interesting . . .
Apparently for the Jews, the situation was similar. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish fall high holiday which was just celebrated last Friday, is actually their New Year. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah literally means "Head of the Year." It celebrated the time God created the world. Jews who celebrate this holiday spend time considering their sins of the past year, repenting for them and determining to live better in the coming one.
Sounds like a good idea to me. I could use some time to consider my sins of the past year (won't write them down; I'd run out of paper!) One of the things I *know* needs some work is the level of gratitude in my life. I feel as if I've tended more toward feeling overwhelmed and frustrated this year, and I believe a good dose of gratitude might be a great antidote for that.
Ever since finding the Holy Experience blog and read Amy's Gratitude Journalidea about making a list of 1,000 gifts God's given, I've wanted to start my own list. So often the really wonderful things about life seem to slip by without any acknowledgment from me, and I want to remember what God's done. Time to start a list . . .
1. God's Word on my nightstand
2. Coffee
3. French Vanilla Creamer
4. Cuddly baby staying asleep
5. My glider rocker
6. Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest 7. Husband snoring
8. Tinkerbell coffee mug
9. Pumpkin muffin smell
10. Kids playing in their rooms
11. Not having to wake and hurry kids to a bus
12. Sunny skies
13. Pool in the backyard
14. New clothes
15. Facebook (!)
16. God's protection of my oldest in another country
17. Rich, ruby paint on my wall
18. Candles that smell like autumn
19. Being able to stay home w/my children
20. A box full of orange, brown, red, and yellow leaves to decorate with
21. Friends coming for dinner
22. Grocery store across the street
I love fall! In Florida, fall weather hits around, well, approximately December, I'd say. And so we create our own cool, falling-leaves season around here. Every first-day-of-fall for the past goodness knows how many years, I've made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins from an old small-town cookbook recipe which uses canned pumpkin as the main ingredient. My dear husband brought home canned pumpkin pie puree, and so this year, I improvised! I used this recipe and tweaked it a bit . . .
From Libby's recipes online, here's their Crumble-Top Pumpkin Muffins.
PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
COMBINE baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.
BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.
FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
COMBINE 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.
I used 1/2 a cup of raisins and added a cup of chocolate chips. Hey, everything improves with chocolate, right? I love to mix my muffins, put the batter into the pans and put the pans in the fridge overnight. In the morning all I have to do is heat the oven (take the muffins out of the fridge to come to room temp) and then pop them in! And if you set up your coffeemaker so you have push-button-ready coffee, you'll feel like a lady of leisure.
As the official first day of fall, it will also be the day I pull out all my fall decor--pumpkins, spice-colored linens, silk leaves of gold and orange and russet . . . ahhh! I'm very anxious this year, because I just had my husband paint *one* of the dining room walls a gorgeous red, plus I found a huge mirror to hang over the buffet and we got that up on the same wall earlier tonight. I can't wait to see it all with the fall additions; it's going to be gorgeous! I'll try to get a picture up soon. Of course, I'll have to light an Autumn Wreath jar from Yankee Candle to top it all off. Caramel Apple Spiced Cider from Starbucks, anyone? Perfection!
. . . Maybe after I crank the air conditioner up a bit.
I had a dear friend send me a facebook message the other day, asking how on earth she can homeschool her kindergartener with a 2 and 3 year old in the house. I *did* try to reply to her note with my phone, but then decided that was pretty difficult considering how many words I needed to use! There may be others who wonder the same thing anyway, so I thought I'd respond to her here . . . so here you go, Amy!
If you're doing Kindergarten work with your 5 year old this year, that means that not much needs to change in your schedule. Continuing to do whatever you've always done with your kids is fine, excepting the hour and a half or so you may need to spend working with your kindergartener on reading, handwriting and basic math. Seriously, kindergarten-specific "work" probably shouldn't take much more time than that! Read great books to them together, take them all to the park, go as a family for a field trip to the fire station, take a walk in the park and have each one find and draw their favorite flower, then look them up when you get home to find out what their names are . . . Enjoy them! Let the little ones absorb the idea that learning is something enjoyable, happens everywhere all the time, and is for all ages.
One thing I always tell people with young children is, "Don't stress until you have to!" There will be plenty of time for that when they hit the older grades-- worrying about credits and requirements and all that. For now, enjoy having them together and take every opportunity to show them how God's creative, loving hand is at work and visible in the world, and to shape their tastes, habits and character while they're most impressionable. Read some books about homeschooling . . . Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Charlotte Mason Companion, For the Children's Sake, and many others are out there to give you ideas and vision for your homeschool. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is another wonderful resource, of course! Find your own philosophy of education this year, and pray that God shows you His design for your family.
And for that hour or so of peace that you do need, I'd suggest a basket full of things your littles can use *just* during your school time with the older child. Quiet puzzles (Lauri??), board books, and special toys are great; of course, they'll probably want paper and crayons so they can "do school" too! Wonders of quiet can happen if you give them a cookie sheet covered in a 1/8" layer of cornmeal to play with on the kitchen floor--show them how to "write" and draw in it; or try a couple of bowls with some popcorn kernels inside and a ladle to scoop them from one bowl to the other. Shaving cream on the table makes for fun "painting" time and easy cleanup, and of course a snack works, too. If all else fails, the TV is PERFECT as an occassional babysitter if you pop in a sweet video on a crazy day, no matter what "they" say! There's a great resource out there called "Preschool Activities in a Bag" which has tons of ideas for keep-busy projects--check them out here for more info (they actually have activity bags for all ages, now!)
I hope this has helped a little. You'll do a great job homeschooling! Oh, and if they do set the house afire, consider it a learning opportunity. You might want to get your husband to check the alarm batteries before the first day of school!!
Ever thought about what it would be like to have no Bible in your own language? Most of us have Bibles stashed in bookshelves, closets, trunks of cars . . . just about everywhere. And if we don't, we can grab one at WalMart, the local Christian bookstore or even the grocery store across the street. But for many people groups of the world, that is not the case. I'm really excited about this project and being part of it with my missions-minded kids--who are that way, I might add, largely because of our use of so much Sonlight curriculum!
From the message we received from Sonlight . . .
Through Sonlight's partnership with The Seed Company's OneVerse program this year, your children can help fund a New Testament translation project. They can also get to know the Meetto people, learn about modern Bible translation and gain a deeper appreciation for the value of God's Word through a wonderful eight-week educational program that The Seed Company has put together.
Sign your family up today to receive a 'MyVerse Journal' free for each of your children and be part of this great project. Click here for the OneVerse website and more information!
Amy Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience, is a recent favorite in my jaunts around the internet. A homeschooling, farming mother of six who finds carves out time to blog daily (I'm aspiring to this!), she's thoughtful, inspirational and convicting. She's also compiled a list of websites which host daily quizzes, games, and information for both kids and adults in almost every major learning area, and I loved it so much I had to share it with you! Click here for this wonderful resource--don't you love it when someone else already did "all the work?!" You can read Amy's blog daily (as I plan to!) at www.aholyexperience.com. Enjoy!
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
I stayed home from church again this evening after a long, long day with a fussy baby, bickering children, dashed plans and general confusion, feeling a little like Cinderella with no time to get ready for the ball. Seeing that Cindy Rushton had a radio show available online about the Proverbs 31 woman, I thought it might do to fill in for the sermon I was once again missing. This verse, part of her great message, is one very familiar to me, as it may be to many of you.
Tonight, however, I heard The Message Bible's version of it for the first time.
"... I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." ~Jeremiah 29:11
How that version touched my heart! He will take care of me (no one's ever done that before!). . . He will bring me home (home is my greatest longing!). . . He knows what He's doing (thank goodness, because sometimes I wondered) . . . He has it all planned out (you mean, I don't have to manage everything myself?) . . . and to give me the future I hope for (though sometimes it looks so impossible . . .) Alleluia!
I have always been a bit of a clutter girl. When I started blogging, I loved the look of all the cutesy borders and pictures and trim some sites had--they made the pages seem cozy. My house decor was similar in some ways--cute and cozy.
But this year, as I've been going from room to room de-cluttering and reorganizing, I've found myself in search of more of a clean (dare I say "adult?") look. If you were to come to my house, you'd find that most of the pictures and wall decor which were removed for cleaning have not been returned to their places, but are still stashed under my bed and in the closet. My rooms, whether they've already been repainted or are still awaiting a new shade, are a bit sparse.
And I like it. I like the look of open walls, of semi-empty rooms with wide spaces in between furnishings. Like the idea of being unfinished with plenty of room left and time to decide.
And I'm positive it has nothing to do with my turning 40 next month.
So I knew I needed to do the same thing here. Needed to de-clutter, to clean things up, to spend some time deciding what I wanted to highlight and what needed to go. I've had a million things on my mind but little time to sit and write them out; new babies have a way of making that be the case! But there are so many things I've found in the last week that I knew people would love that I didn't want to wait anymore, trying to keep them all straight in my head. Plus, once I put something here, I know I can find it for myself!
Please bear with me, then, as this site goes under construction. I'll try to make it worth it!
Description
Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task.
Home User Profile ArchivesRecent Entries
- On Turning Forty
- Day at the Corn Maze
- Permission Slips for Moms--at Heart of the Matter!
- The Timeline--Daddy's Version
- Surprised at Communion
