Life On The Potter's Wheel - Homeschool Blogger

A New Blog

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 13:41:00 -0600

I have created a new blog found here: http://lifeonthepotterswheel.blogspot.com/

I hope you will all come to visit me there!

Hugs,

Donna

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:31:00 -0600

Here it is, ready or not, the day before Christmas! I am not ready, but I never am, so I guess I could say things are normal as always...lol

I know it has been a while since I updated my blog. It has been a very busy fall/early winter for me and I have struggled a lot with feeling totally overwhelmed and bone weary. In the past 2 weeks I have been spending a lot more time with the Lord seeking guidance for the new year and I believe He has spoken some things into my heart that I will be starting to work on very soon.

So, just in case anyone happens by my blog today, I just want you to know I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a very Blessed 2008!!!!

Choose Joy

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:16:00 -0500

Well, as October has gotten underway, I am totally enjoying the cooler weather. The days are still nice and warm, but the cool nights are heavenly. I don't hear the "cha ching" anymore on my electric meter either since the A/C is not running, and that is a really nice feeling...:)

Something God has been teaching me this month has been about "choosing joy". As many of you know, we are just into our second year of homeschooling and while we have always tried to raise our kids in a christian home, I have to admit that we weren't as diligent as we should have been and my girls don't have real great attitudes when it comes to helping out around the house. They aren't bad, but they just don't have a servant's heart or attitude. They will do what they are asked, but they will definitely let it be known they are not happy about it.

I find myself daily feeling down and discouraged about their attitude, especially when they roll their eyes at me when I try to "teach" them why attitude is so important. Their favorite words are, "I know", and "whatever". Sigh.... I have just beat on the throne room of God daily seeking answers and help for this and God showed me something.

Everyday I would get upset with my girls for not having a good attitude about helping out with chores and I would start doing the chores myself (I did this because I was too tired to fight with them over it), but when I did them, I was muttering under my breath the whole time about how lazy and ungrateful my kids were being and then I would even mutter to God under my breath that I didn't understand why He wasn't hearing my prayers to change them. And then, all of a sudden it hit me. I wasn't modeling for them a servant's heart and attitude. I was doing just what they were doing or rather, they were just doing what I had taught them to do by my example. Ouch!

So, then I started praying and asking God to help me change my attitude. When I go in and find the laundry hasn't been switched, or the kitchen tidied up, instead of muttering under my breath or complaining loudly in efforts to manipulate them into feeling guilty, God told me I had to make a choice. I could choose to be joyful or I could choose to continue murmuring and complaining. And God let me know I didn't have to "feel" joy in order to choose to walk in it.

So, this week has been one in which I have really worked hard at choosing joy over murmuring and complaining and though it hasn't been easy, I feel, ever so slightly, a change occurring in my heart. And maybe, just maybe, when my girls see that I have a good attitude towards chores, they will start to copy that as well. And honestly, as I choose joy, it affects not just the housework, but all aspects of my life. I truly can say that The joy of the Lord is my strength! Choosing joy gives me strength to be what God wants me to be! What an awesome God we serve!!

The end of the month... <sigh>

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 14:45:00 -0500

Well, here we are at the end of September. What a fast month it was! We got school underway, joined a new co-op, dealt with all sorts of unexpecteds, but have come through it all intact.

Actually, some parts of this month were extra special. My parents decided to take a vacation to see Niagara Falls and they graciously invited Shelby & Lindsay to go along. They left on a Saturday morning and returned home the following Thursday late afternoon. They had a blast! They were full of stories to tell and surprised me by how much "history" they absorbed from the trip. Of course, I like to think it was because I have done such a good job retraining them to like history.... LOL

While they were gone, Tom and I attempted to refinish Shelby's bedroom floor, but didn't get it done before they got back, which was disappointing, but it was just another one of those "unexpecteds" that tend to frequent my life....:) Tom put the final finish on it last night, so when we got home from church today, we could start moving furniture back in. Shelby is so excited to have this done. Just one step closer now to getting her room all ready for the baby to arrive.

As I have mentioned before, fall is my most favorite of the seasons. And I feel like, even though the busyness is still ever present, my inner person is responding to the fall weather and is calming down some. I feel a renewed sense of purpose in my steps and a deeper connection to things of a spiritual nature. It is a good feeling.

So, as we say goodbye to September and welcome in October, I am excited about what God will use in another fall month to draw me closer to Him. What about you? What has God been doing in your life recently as you pass from one month to another, or one season to another? I would love to hear about it!

A precious new life

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:11:00 -0500

Well, if you have been following my blog in the recent months, you will know that I am going to be a grandma. Being a grandma at the age of 38 was not on my list of things to accomplish anytime soon, but then not everything works out the way we hope they will. I have had to remind myself over the past weeks that God is the one who opens and shuts the womb. We make our choices of course, but ultimately, God is the one who decides who is conceived. There is strange comfort in that.

So, while some have acted like any happiness we show is in some way condoning our daughter's sin of premarital sex, let me just say that we are not condoning her sin, we are simply choosing to celebrate the life that God has created and allowed to come our way. Sure, we wish the circumstances were different, but is it this little baby's fault? Nope. And we are going to love him and do our best to raise him up the way the Lord would have us too.

So, if you caught that, we found out 2 weeks ago that our daughter is having a boy. Well, they were as sure as they could be that it was a boy. I have known many people who got a big surprise on delivery day, so we aren't going to go gung-ho on buying boy things, but if it turns out the ultrasound tech is right and it is a boy, it will be the first in our house, and we are excited about that. My husband has often stated that with a wife and 3 daughters in the house, there are times the estrogen is so thick he can cut it with a knife... LOL

So, below you will find our precious little grandson's first pic. He has his arm stuck out to the side of his head. Shelby has done amazingly well so far and has even made HUGE strides in her spiritual walk, despite the fact that the father of the baby has chosen to opt out of his relationship with Shelby because she is choosing to follow God's plan for her life. It has been a hard time for Shelby and for us to watch her go through such heartache, but we are proud of her for finally standing strong for what is right.

Psalm 139: 13-16

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.

A New Year Underway!

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:29:00 -0500

Last Wednesday, we officially started our 2nd year of homeschooling. We got off to a pretty good start last week and then today, I enrolled Shelby and Lindsay in a "new to us" homeschool co-op. They offer 3 classes for 3 hours on Tuesday afternoons. The classes this semester are art, science experiments, and cooperative games. Before we got there today, the girls were discussing what they thought they would and would not like and art was high on their "will not like" list, so imagine the laugh I got this afternoon when they informed me that art was their favorite class?? LOL

This year feels different already in comparison to this time last year. I guess that is because we have 1 year officially under out belt, but I also think that part of the reason things feel differently is because we are different people. God has really challenged each of us as we embarked on the adventure of homeschooling and He has done it in many areas of our lives, not just the ones we would obviously think of. While not all challenges were met with a Christ-like response, overall, we have grown and learned more about who we are as individuals, we have learned who God wants us to be, and we have learned just how far short we fall of that, especially when we try to make any change under our own strength and without God's leading and direction.

This year as we continue on our journey of homeschooling, I look forward to a time of continuing to learn more not just academically, but also spiritually, and to becoming more like Jesus in all that we do so that He receives glory and not us.

The Smell of Fall Is In The Air!

Fri, 7 Sep 2007 22:36:00 -0500

Ah, the beauty of fall. I don't know if it is because it comes after a heat-scorching summer or if it is because of the vibrant colors it usually heralds, or what, but fall is my most favorite season of all. For us, fall means many things. It is a time when we start cutting our wood for our winter's heat. It is when we start pulling out the board games in the evening as darkness descends much earlier. And it is a time of change in our househould routines as we start the school schedule up. In many ways, fall feels like New Year's Day to me. A time to start something new and fresh. I find myself thinking more about my homemaking skills, my cooking/baking skills, and even more about my spiritual life. Summer is awesome and I love it, but too often for us, it gets so hectic that we are all but rushing through each day and fall seems to signal a slowing down of sorts.

As I sit and ponder on all these things, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 come to my mind.

1TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

    2A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,^(A)

    3A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,

    4A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    5A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    6A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,

    7A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,^(B)

    8A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.^(C)

^{I had a pastor's wife tell me once when my girls were all very young and I was easily frustrated with the stages they seemed to constantly be going through, that "this too shall pass". I didn't really appreciate her words of wisdom until many years later unfortunately, but it is true. Nothing stays the same forever, except God. Seasons change, people grow and change, circumstances come and go, good times come and go, and yes, even bad times come and go, though sometimes when you are in the midst of a bad time it doesn't feel like it will ever end, but it will.}

^{So, as summer comes to an end and fall, with its crisp clear mornings, vibrant colors, and warm, sunny days arrive, let's take a minute to embrace this change and thank God that He loves us so much He will never leave us in one season forever, but He will see us through each season and teach us and grow us more into His image each day no matter what season we are in, as we embrace all that He has for us.}

What a week!

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:13:00 -0500

Well, this has certainly been a busy week! Actually, most of my weeks seem to be busy, or at least busier than I would prefer them to be, but this past week we moved our oldest daughter into her dorm for her first year of college. What a transition that was and still is.

The actual moving her in went fairly smoothly. Her college is approximately 2.5 hours from home, so we left out early that morning for check in was at 9 a.m. While she and her dad went to "check in", me and her sisters set about unloading and unpacking her things. We noticed right quickly though that the A/C was not working and it got up to 101 that day!!!! She had a small fan, but it was truly a "personal" size fan, so we took turns hogging it....lol She text messaged me this morning to say that the A/C got fixed yesterday, her roommate got moved in (she is a senior and their move in day was yesterday) and she had been to the most awesome worship service EVER. So, she is settling in well.

I actually did pretty good emotionally through the whole process. I did get teary a couple of times, but I am so proud of her and excited for her, that it overshadows most of my sadness at my little girl really growing up. The hardest part is when I get ready to go to bed and I realize I don't have to wait up for her to come home and when I walk by her bedroom door at night. But I know she is safe and happy and she will be coming home in 2 weeks for the Labor Day weekend, so all is good.

One thing I have thought on throughout this week is that change, even the good changes, is scary. My daughter is very strong willed and doesn't let anything stop her from going after what she wants, but she was very nervous the week prior to leaving for college, and grumpy to the extreme! I overheard her tell several people that she really didn't want to go, she wasn't looking forward to it, etc. I was hearing those things with utter amazement!!! It was completely the opposite of what she had been telling us for weeks, months, years?? LOL I then realized she must be nervous and her way of deflecting it was to act like it wasn't something she wanted.

That really got my mind to going. I realize that I do that very same thing in many areas of my life. I pray and ask God for something, then when it starts to happen, "change" starts occurring, I get nervous about it and then start back pedalling, acting like it really isn't something I wanted, when deep down it is, I am just petrified. So, with that new revelation, I have asked God to remind me of this the next time "change" comes my way, so that I can be a better model of gracefulness in change, instead of grumpiness in change....:)

So, those are my ponderings for today.

Hugs to all my blogger friends!!!! And to the blogger who keeps posting as anonymous, I would love to see your blog, but you gotta give me a name or at least a link so I know who you are...:)

A New Name

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:40:00 -0500

I have been pondering a name change for my blog for a while now and I finally settled on "Life On The Potter's Wheel".

Next February, I will be married for 20 years. I have joked off and on throughout the years that when I said "I DO", my head started spinning and it hasn't stopped since. We got married and then 4 months later found out we were expecting our first child - that was not our plan, but I guess God had a different plan. Then when she was a little over a year old, we found out we were expecting again - again, that was not our plan, but God again had a different plan. (We did plan for our 3rd child though.)

Anyway, as I look back over the past 20 years of my life, I get a very real sense that my life has been spinning fast and furious and for most of that time I had no idea where I was going or what real goal I was striving for. I was basically in reaction mode for most all these years. Yes, I have been a christian all those years, and yes, I have gone to church, and yes, I thought I was working towards a goal of sorts- you know the one, becoming a mature christian. And yes, I have made progress on that, but truly when I look back over my life, I realize that I spent most of my time reacting to every crisis or circumstance (aka jumping off the Potter's wheel) instead of being focused and determined to really let the Master Potter shape me into the vessel He wanted me to be.

Over the past 3 months I have been faced with situations that I really didn't think I could ever handle and I have discovered that I was right, I couldn't handle them, but I also discovered that when I finally didn't have the energy to "react" anymore, God was waiting right there for me and He has lovingly and gently started making me into who He wants me to be. I just had to get to the point where I was finally willing to really trust Him and stay where I was supposed to be, and He has been very real in my circumstances. No, all my situations/circumstances have not worked out the way I wanted them to, but I have started to discover a deep, abiding peace in my heart that I have never experienced before. For the first time in my life I am actually staying on the Potter's wheel and letting Him shape me into the person He wants me to be and I am finding rest.

Lest you think I have achieved perfection, rest assured, I guess I should amend my previous comment and say that I am actually staying on the Potter's wheel for "longer stretches of time" than I ever have before. I still jump off occasionally and scurry about trying to fix things and do things in my own strength, but more and more I am learning how to stay on the Master's wheel and what a great thing that is.

So, that is how my new blog name came to be.

What about you? Is there a story behind your blog name?

Another Monday

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:13:00 -0500

I love Mondays! I think I have mentioned that before in my blog. It is like a fresh slate to start with each week.

This week holds a very significant change for our lives. Our oldest daughter will be moving into the dorm of her college on Thursday. We are closing a chapter in our lives, but opening another one. It is scary, yet exciting. I have been pondering lots of things about the past 18 years and all the great times we have had and even the struggles we have had. Despite it all, we have survived and we still love each other....:)

So, as I go about my daily chores this week, I will be extra busy as I help my daughter move into this next phase of her life. As with most changes, there is an element of bittersweetness to it. A sadness that my little girl is all grown up now. An undercurrent of worry as she moves into the adult world. But yet an overwhelming sense of peace that this is how it is supposed to be and that God has always been in control and will always be in control and He loves her more than I ever could. I look forward to a new relationship budding between us as we move even more into not just a mother/daughter relationship but hopefully a close friend relationship.

This year has certainly been one of change for our family, and not all of them were changes we were expecting, but God has proven His faithfulness to me time and time again and I have never felt quite so loved by my Heavenly Father as I have in the past few weeks.

One of my all-time favorite verses is the one that says, "His mercies are new every morning". What an awesome promise to not just read about, but to experience.

I know I have been slacking a bit in my blogging, but I have many things to share and will try to make time to enter more of it this week, but for sure next week after we get Kayla all settled in.