Welcome to my jungle!

• Apr. 19, 2009 - Girls weekend!

The title says it all - a weekend of female bonding!! I left with 3 of my homeschooling Mom friends to go to OH for a homeschool convention. We attended seminars and visited vendor booths to look at materials for next year...I am so recharged! We did pull an almost all nighter on Thursday night - haven't done that for years - it was like a sleepover of 12 year olds - we decided that the responsible thing would be to go to bed and get a little sleep - the minute the lights went out - you females remember those sleepovers - giggle...giggle...giggle...and then FUNNY stories came out - then ones that you don't repeat...the embarrassing ones, you know! The boys had great Daddy bonding time and Mommy got some grown up time! One of the speakers that we fell in love with was a man named Paul Hamby (owns a company called Lamplighter). He was a dynamic speaker that combined a wonderful sense of humor with just enough conviction to get you crying and thinking! The last seminar we attended by him was so moving that many people (including our group) stayed in their seats after he was finished talking drying their eyes and reviewing what he had said. He spoke of trials and hardship and overcoming them, the power of prayer, and blessings. The most thought provoking part related to our children. God created them with passions and a plan...our job as their parents is to foster that talent and allow them to receive blessings from us, others and God...not in that order. Don't we often squish their passions if they do not fit our mold or ideas...maybe they like to draw and we find "more important" things for them to do...maybe they have a servants heart, but they wear us out being under foot at our every turn trying to "help". Whatever it is we often do not handle it correctly and squish 'em without realizing it! I would not even attempt to try and put it into Mr Hamby's words, but it got you thinking about how you respond at times. Don't miss the blessings....I by no means take our time together for granted, but like everybody else - I'm not on my game everyday (much to my dismay!!), but I'm inspired to try a little harder, even on the bad days, to give the boys the Mom that God intended for them to have...one that messes up daily and asks for forgiveness from God and them when she does..one that knows their strengths and weaknesses and uses that knowledge to make them better people...one that encourages their passions and ideas even if I don't get it...and one that puts their relationship with God as the top of the priority list for everyday, helping them to find the man that God desires them to be...deep...better go, looks like I have a lot to do!

• Apr. 20, 2009 - weekend

Posted by stacy h

i'm glad you gals had a good time. it was great seeing you. wish we could've visited though. hope the rest of your school year is great and maybe we'll catch up this summer sometime. take care.

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• Apr. 29, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by flysister

I soooo wanted to go! I knew you were going and if my schedule would've allowed, I'd have been hitching a ride with you. :) Thanks for sharing what you learned from Mark Hamby. I'm trying to get my scheduled cleared to go to Louisville. I need encouragement right about now. The end of the year dragging..... ugh! On another note, I saw Kristin C., Lisa C., and Brandi O. today at Weather 101. It was so great to see friends (I don't dare say "old") again. Perhaps our paths will cross soon.

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