Kick off your shoes, make yourself at home, come sit in a comfy chair. Our lives, our love, our joy and laughter, with you, we gladly share. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:54:00 -0500 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:54:00 -0500 I celebrated, and I mean celebrated, my 25th anniversary with the most wonderful man in the world last week.  It seems so hard to believe that 25 years ago we committed our lives to one another.  We have been through a LOT, both good and bad, but a lot of good.  We grew up together, at least I grew up after marrying him at 18.  He has seen my very worst and maybe a little best (but not a lot).  He knows me better than anyone else and loves me the most, I think.  There is little I wouldn't do for him.  He is my very life. I was thinking about what love really is.  It's hard to define, especially after 25 years.  I thought I knew what love was when I was 18 and marrying the cutest guy I'd ever seen.  I loved his blue eyes, but even more his passionate love for God that was willing to give anything and pay any cost to follow Jesus.  I wanted to go with him wherever God called him, to help him and to give my life alongside his.  At times we have struggled in our focus, or maybe I have.  Five children and one miscarriage later things don't seem as black and white as they used to.  Close friends have let us down and relatives have passed away.  Losing a baby on Christmas changed that holiday forever.  Watching a parent lose his mind in recent days has brought incredible sadness and pain. So what is love?  One thing I'm certain about is that it's not ooshy-gooshy romantic nonsense.  Actually there is that element but it seems somehow small compared to the depth of feeling I have for my man.  No, real love is about sacrifice.  It's about being there when no one else understands.  It's about doing the hard stuff when no one sees or understands.  It's about suffering together and laughing together and understanding what no one else does.  It's about a promise and a faith that transcends this earth.  It's about service and obeying God.  And it's even more than all of that. I read some quotes about love that I think begin to express some of what love is about.  Thanks to owlhaven.net for these.  And to my dear, dear husband, thanks so much for being the example of love to me that you have been.  I have been so faithless and lazy in our relationship and you have been true and patient and sacrificing.  I love you beyond anything I could ever have imagined 25 years ago.  I can't even imagine what our love will be like 25 years from now!  But if God wills, I'll be here beside you.  Just where I belong. Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies….Mother Teresa. “True love” isn’t so much a dreamy feeling that you have as it is an enduring commitment to give sacrificially — even, or perhaps especially, when you don’t feel like it….William R. Mattox, Jr. To love someone means to see him as God intended him….. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. We all love best not those who offend us least, nor those who have done most for us, but those who make it most easy for us to forgive them….Samuel Butler. The strongest evidence of love is sacrifice….Carolyn Fry. Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting….Mother Teresa. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/708372/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/708372/ My crew is all out and about working at various jobs.  Oldest son at home and #3 son are mowing and doing yardwork for an elderly couple down the road.  Hubby and daughter and youngest son are going to Granny's to mow and do yardwork and check on Pa in the nursing home.  And I am here.....alone. It's strange being in this house all alone.  I feel strange and it is SO quiet.  Even though my kiddos are getting older and are sometimes in their rooms with the doors shut reading or listening to Chronicles of Narnia CDs or playing with Legos, just their presence in this house gives it a different feel.  I know they are not here and I am somehow strangely sad. It reminded me of a conversation with my sister in which she was relating to me friends who cannot wait for their children to get back into school.  I've heard it many times from others.  I can NEVER relate. For one, my children have never been in school and I have not cultivated that "alone" feeling.  I suppose silence and loneliness are things you get used to and maybe like once you get there, but I have never had that as part of my experience. For two, I LOVE my children and love being with them.  They truly complete my life.  I feel like a part of me is missing when they are gone.  I have gotten used to my oldest being gone and married (a good thing), but I still feel like we are missing someone around here.  I guess I always will. I know there will come a day when I will be more alone than I am right at this stage of my life.  And I suppose I will find joy and fulfillment there.  But I don't crave it.  I like my life of busy children and lots to do.  I like talking and having someone answer.  I even like breaking up disagreements and cleaning up messes. There is really someone else here even when I am alone.  "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.  So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6)  The beauty in solitary times is that my God is my friend, my helper and my constant companion.  He will always be here and that will never, ever change.  Ahh, what a relief! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/704735/ Fri, 3 Jul 2009 10:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/704735/ A man's ego is an important thing.  I think as women, far too often, we criticize a man's ability to do something.  This is tragic and often drives men away, not only from the women in their lives, but also away from attempting anything that might potentially be criticized. As a result, men often withdraw emotionally from their wives, children and even their God.  They feel unimportant and not valuable.  They don't try the hard things and don't live the cutting edge lives that God intended. It is often popular for women to ridicule men, or do things independently from men, taking pride in showing them up.  Men are seen as wimpy and incompetent. How I pray that my life will praise my man.  I want to turn from a life where I do my own thing in my own way.  I want my marriage to show my love and respect for my husband.  I want to build him up and never tear him down. Do I have a long way to go?  Yes!  But by God's grace, I can be my husband's biggest fan.  I can tell him how strong and capable I think he is.  I can raise his public image and talk to others about what a great man he is.  In private, I can give him honest admiration. "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears hers down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/702606/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:17:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/702606/ I can't believe I'm thinking about doing this, but I'm probably changing history curriculum.  Yikes!  My children still in this home school balked loudly when they first heard me discussing it. But I feel like time is flying by.  I want to sew with Hannah and teach the boys how to draw some and appreciate more art and music and learn more Scripture and visit more needy people.  I don't want these years to go by without doing what matters most..  AND probably most importantly, I want to reach the hearts of my children in ways I haven't before.  I want to hear from God and obey in ways I haven't before.  I want more relationship with God and each other and maybe not so much academics. The only thing that stays the same is change.  I feel old.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/702526/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/702526/ I have had so much on my mind lately and not a lot of time to blog.  But I am really trying to set priorities in my life and that has meant putting my husband, children and church before my blogging time. But I have a few minutes...no wait, my youngest wants to read a book.  I'll be back later! We just finished up a week of Vacation Bible School.  I was so privileged to get to spend a week teaching and getting to know a great group of 5th and 6th grade girls.  The girl I mentioned before from camp came every day.  Today she told me that she had made a commitment to read her Bible every day and she showed me a notebook in which she was writing down things that God was speaking to her.  I was so excited. Our theme for our week of Bible School was....the Bible!  We did a curriculum from Answers in Genesis that was absolutely tremendous.  Each day we learned about a different aspect of God's Word and why the Bible is God's Word, His absolute authority for our lives and the number one priority in hearing from God.  It was so cool.  I learned LOTS myself and was challenged in many ways. One way that I was challenged was in daily Bible reading.  God's Word is our spiritual food and it must be our priority to hear from God daily in order to grow.  I do read my Bible almost daily and it is a habit but I don't think I have done a good job of helping that habit to develop in my children.  Just like brushing our teeth is a habit and not something so hard to work into our day, Bible study can and should be the same.  I am committing to helping my youngest have a daily time in God's Word.  Right now that means I read to him each day until he picks up the habit.  Then hopefully he will read on his own. Another great theme that came from our week was the absolute authority that the Word of God has over nature, health, even life and death.  Jesus spoke and the wind and waves obeyed.  Jesus spoke and a centurion's servant was healed.  God spoke and the world came into existence.  Even Jesus obeyed God's Words when he prayed, "Not my will, but thine be done."  God's Word has the answer to whatever need I have.  I resolved to quit trying to figure things out on my own; rather, to look to the Bible for my answer to questions or needs. Check out great resources at:  www.answersingenesis.org   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/701179/ Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:59:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/701179/ Church camp was the first week in June.  It was really good this year and my heart was again spoken to, even though I went to be a cook and help out. One of my favorite messages that is still impacting me was taken from Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! God is calling me to live missionally.  Daily I want to ask myself the question:  How do I live my life today so that I can make a difference?  I don't want to shrink back from the hard things.  I want to be a vessel that God can truly use to further His kingdom. I have often complained about opportunities that I have to serve:  VBS, Kids Club, Day Camp, teaching various classes.  But how can I complain about the opportunity to share God's glory?  How can I be so selfish that I want more time for me when the God of all the universe is calling me to declare his marvelous works among all the peoples?  Again my heart is stirred to pray more, give more, go more and live in a daily way looking for opportunities. It was so cool because right after this particular service and my heart rising in commitment to the Lord, I got to share during our devotional time in our cabin with a 12-year-old girl.  Her home life is hard to say the least.  She told me that she just wanted a mama to love her.  I told her I love her and that I will try to be a mama to her when she needs one.  Come to find out, she lives just down the road from me!  Is God amazing or what? I am trying to change my mind set.  My life is truly not my own.  I am bought with a price.  I am not my own master.  I am under the authority of the Commander.  Just where I want to be! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/700753/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/700753/ My daughter had an excellent post on her blog that just ministered to me.  Thought I'd share....in case you don't often read her blog.  www.homeschoolblogger.com/solideogloria Enjoy! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/693921/ Fri, 29 May 2009 15:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/693921/ My sister and I had a good long walk this past Monday, Memorial Day, up at my mom and dad's property.  I told her my frustrations and discouragements and she told me hers.  She listened, interrupted some, and gestured wildly with her hands.  She yelled at me a couple of times and I'm sure I did much more than all of this to her at various points.  She and I disagreed, agreed, cajoled and lamented.  We were waving our arms, trying to walk fast enough to keep up with our mouths and generally being hilarious to onlookers (I'm sure). It was nice.  And comforting somehow.  It's nice to know that someone understands, well, mostly understands.  And someone doesn't laugh at my dreams and fears.  And someone is just there. Family is great and sisters are wonderful.  (I'm sorry for the rocking chair I threw at you when I was 13 and you were 12.) There is something just so nice about being able to talk as fast as possible and not frustrate the man I live with.  Women need other women, I think.  It is soothing to my spirit to let the lava expode and the volcano erupt.  I love to talk fast, interrupt and be interrupted.  I love to make wildly emotional statements and have the person I'm exaggerating to just accept it and go on, not taking me too seriously. Thank you, God, for my sis. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/693207/ Wed, 27 May 2009 17:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/693207/ I did a THING today in our homeschool journey. I decided that my daughter's research paper was never going to get done, was scattered and was way too complicated.  I also decided that my sixth grader needed to learn the basics of how to do a research paper this year. Mind you, we are finishing our school year THIS week.  WHAT was I thinking??? I decided to do "A Research Paper in a Day." My husband thought I was crazy and perhaps he was right.  Not only did I decide that the ninth grader and the sixth grader would do a whole paper in a day, I decided  to bring the second grader in and have him do a simple one as well.  I AM crazy. But... we did it.  The younger two and I actually went the library yesterday afternoon to pick up several books.  I planned to have them use at least two internet sources as well so they would learn the basics of how to research using the internet and how to cite those internet sources. We made note cards of our sources first.  Then we numbered those source cards and began to take notes on cards, referencing them to the sources with numbers.  Then we arranged the cards in the order we wanted to write about them and began to write.  My second grader wrote about a page and a half!  Yeah!  And it was really good.  My daughter finished before noon and my sixth grader just finished up a few minutes ago. It was a harrowing day, very intense at times.  But in one day we conquered the research paper.  My children learned how to cite sources, plan a paper, research and put down ideas on paper that make sense.  They even learned how to make a title page.  I guess this is one more neat thing about homeschooling.  When I notice a gap or need, I can spend a whole entire day working to fix the problem.  Yes, we did break for lunch, but we were able to concentrate on one thing for a whole entire day until we mastered it. I think I like "A Research Paper in a Day."  But it will be another day in the distant future before we tackle a project like this again. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/689041/ Thu, 14 May 2009 16:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/689041/ Today is a neat day.  My son met me when I got out of the bathroom this morning with a card.  It was handwritten and told how much he loved me and appreciated me.  On the back was this simple message, "Please enjoy breakfast."  He had cooked me scrambled eggs and made me a roll with strawberry jam (my favorite).  He brought it into my bedroom along with a big cup of coffee. My youngest son gave me a handwritten letter on stationery and in an envelope that told me how much he loved me and said that he wished me "lots of hugs and kissis."  :)  My husband wrote me a letter that told me how much he appreciated me and loved me.  My oldest son at home had a gift bag full of wonderful-smelling bath products and a neat back scrubber. My oldest son and daughter-in-law gave me a neat pan with a handle (yeah!) and some coffee creamer. My daughter cooked me a lovely lunch (and got up an hour early to start on it before church).  She fixed me oven chicken with crunchy topping, garlic cheese mashed potatoes, homemade biscuit sticks and green beans.  She even fixed a wonderful cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips that spelled "Mom." After lunch, my kiddos at home gave me a pint of Ben and Jerry's Coffee ice cream with Heath chunks.  Wow, I never knew such a wonderful thing as this existed. I am so blessed. But I have to tell about my own mom and her gift to me this Mother's Day.  My mom painstakingly hand wrote a recipe book for my sister and me.  Inside is every one of her favorite recipes from her 45 years of married life.  There are recipes from both of my grandmothers and some other relatives as well, I think.  She has sections in this book for every kind of thing imaginable.  She said she has been working on it since Christmas.  She wrote until her hands hurt, then started again the next day.  She went through every cook book she had and every recipe box.  (My mom has a lot.)  At the end is a section on "Household Hints."  She tells her hints on how to use common household items to clean things.  She tells how to get out stains and has the stains listed in alphabetical order.  She tells what to do when you need something and don't have it.  She tells what she means by oil and "Dawn" in her recipes.  It is just amazing.  What a treasure. I could never be a mom like I have.  My mom is so kind and caring and so understated.  She has never demanded attention and is content to be in the background at our family get-togethers.  My dad is the more loud and "fun" one.  But she always makes sure all of the details are taken care of.  She serves with every fiber of her being. This morning my husband preached on Mary pouring out her alabaster jar of precious perfume and "wasting" it on Jesus.  My mom has consistently poured out the treasure of herself for our family. I want to pour out the treasure (such as it is) of myself on my loved ones and indeed everyone I can just as I would for the Lord Jesus.  I want my life to be an act of worship to Him that will smell strongly of pure devotion.  I want to do what I do for Jesus, pouring out my life on Him.  Not so that others will see and approve (they didn't approve of Mary), but so that my Lord will be blessed.  I want to do what I do for Him and Him alone. I don't mother so that my children will rise and call me blessed (I hope that they one day will).  I mother for Jesus.  I display friendship and give words of encouragement for Jesus.  I fix meals for neighbors and others for Jesus.  I serve Jesus and Jesus alone. And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/687593/ Sun, 10 May 2009 16:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hobbshome/687593/