Praise God!

Our church "youngster" group (grades 4-6) is having a talent show on Saturday.  I was interested to hear what my kids would choose to do.  Jonathan is going to be an escape artist, with Peter handcuffing him (I know I'm going to regret that at some point).  Victoria is going to sing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and Caroline...well, she wasn't sure.

She came to me today and she had written a song.  It made me cry.  Here are the lyrics:

I want to see you

I want to find you

I want to know you

So my life won't be so hard

What I want the MOST for my kids is for them to follow after Jesus.  I pray that this is just the very beginning of her passion for Christ.

No wonder...

...I struggle with whether my life/job is important.  Read this quote:

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

What a horrible, horrible....and then sickly truthful comment.

Motherhood is...

....transformation....

This is an amazing post - so encouraging to me!!
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-application

Kings and Queens of England

We had some friends over the other day and somehow the question of Mary, Queen of Scots came up.  The question was raised by this friend - is she the same as "Bloody" Mary.  I started to answer, and my kids piped up, "no"!  Jonathan remarked that Mary, Queen of Scots was Elizabeth I's sister, while Peter said that "Bloody" Mary was her sister.

Hooray!  They listen!!

Tidbits

Sometimes the best moments are moments that I forget after a few days.

When Victoria lost her first tooth (which was SO tiny), she received an Eisenhower bicentennial dollar from the Tooth Fairy.  She got up the next morning and was so thrilled that the tooth that was SO small could get such a LARGE coin!!  

Today while shopping at the mall, the kids saw Santa and his one elf sitting and waiting for children to arrive. My kids felt sorry for him and they said they wanted to go keep him company.  Victoria said she was going to ask him what HE wanted for Christmas.  They all had a good chuckle over that!

Some days....

Some days I want to quit.  I want to go hide somewhere no one can find me and ask me for anything.  I want to send the kids on that yellow bus and have seven glorious hours to myself.  I want to not hear any words for ten minutes.  I want to clean something and have it stay that way.  I want to get caught up with my scrapbooking.

Some days I wonder why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Does it make a difference?  Does it make enough of a difference?  Couldn't I just send them to school and get the same result?  Everybody else does it - why can't I?

Something odd about these thoughts....they're usually at night.  After a decent nights' sleep and some time spent with the Creator of the universe, I'm usually okay.

God says trouble will come. God says to stay strong.  God says He'll always be with me.  God tells the truth.  God IS truth.  God is who He says He is.  God can do what He says He can do.  I am who God says I am. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  God's word is alive and active in me.

I'm not alone.  I can do this.  I can't do it on my own, of course.  I need God.  I can't do anything without Him.  He called me to do this.  I know that.  I know we're doing the right thing.  I just need a little encouragement.

Maybe that's why God keeps nudging me to encourage others.  Because it's so necessary.  Sometimes you're so close to just chucking it all - and that word of encouragement will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Encouraged!

I have been homeschooling my kids since the oldest was five.  He's now thirteen (Lord, have mercy!).  This past week I finally went to a homeschooling convention.

I had no idea what to expect.  I had read some people's suggestions on what to do once you were there, but didn't really know how or even really why I should go.  But hey, when your husband says, "sure, go away for three days and two nights by yourself in a city 2 hours away and stay in a nice hotel", you're an idiot if you don't go.

I'm so glad I went.

I got there on Thursday, checked into the hotel (a KING-sized bed all to myself!!), and then walked the seven (wait, what?) blocks uphill (no, not both ways) to the convention center.  Lots of people milling around, getting checked in, looking at books.  Okay....so???

Then I went to the first workshop, Transcript Boot Camp.  The entire convention paid for itself in that three hour "class".  I left thinking, I CAN homeschool through high school!!!!  We wanted to, but I didn't really know how on earth I could....and how I could prove we did a good job.  Inge Cannon rocks.

Next day was good too, and I got to go to the Exhibit Hall and see all the vendors.  Way overwhelming.  I went to the Used Curriculum Sale.  COOL stuff on sale!!

But Saturday....I was just going to leave early and not go to anything after the keynote speaker.  But, well, there's a workshop that's supposed to be very encouraging.

IT WAS.  I laughed, I cried.  I love Rick Andreassen.

By the time I got home Saturday afternoon, I was wiped out.  That's okay.  I'm still sorting through my books so I can fit in the new ones.  That's actually fun and freeing.

Most of all, I'm still soaking in what I was taught and what I learned.  I hope I don't forget any of it.  I had some random stranger talk to me in the hall.  She said, "don't change what you're doing just because one of these speakers said to.  If what you're doing works, LEAVE IT ALONE."  Do you know how encouraging that is to someone who wonders every day if she's "ruining" her kids?

Anyway, I went, I saw, I learned, and I am so blessed to be home with my kids, with the blessing of my husband, and God's mercy to see me through this part of our journey.