Getting a Bit Behind

It looks like my family is getting a little behind on our blogs.  My husband is working hard to finish his degree and his job.  My son is doing college finals and coming home this week.  My daughter is working hard at school and looking forward to her brother coming home.  I'm just unmotivated, frankly.  Christmas is cool except for the extreme expectations of it all.  I love Jesus birth (duh), spending special time with family and friends, the beautiful decorations, the yummy sweets and food, the fun music, and the wonderful movies.  It's the presents that send me in a bit of pain.  How can you possibly top the greatest Gift of all, God's Son?  No matter what I make or buy, it will never be as wonderful and perfect as God's Gift.  I'm a mother.  I want my children safe and happy.  He is the Father.  He wants His children saved and free.  I can't top that.  The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  The conclusion and most happy thing I can know is this.  I really can't be everything to my family, but God sure can.  Oh, He is so, so good at this.  So, while we are unwrapping our measly trinkets called presents this Christmas, let's not forget to thank the Father for His presence and perfect Present.  Merry Christmas!!!   Oh, and yes, I will ask my troop to catch up on their blogs.  Have a great week.

12 November 2014

Today was a good day of school and movies with Dad and junk food.  God is always good to us.  Oh, plus my tape deck worked so I listened to some of my music.  I do like my daughter's though, also.  Have a great week.

9 November 14

I'm back.  Friday took us into town, and Saturday, well, I was just plain lazy.  November seems to be doing that to me.  My daughter got her very long hair cut to a very cute style right at her shoulders.  Yes, it was her first full length haircut, and it really looks terrific.  We donated her hair (15 inches) to Locks for Love.  If you don't know who they are, they make wigs with real donated hair for people who lost their hair through an illness.  It is a really neat and doable idea.  The frustrating thing is not all hair salons do it for you.  Why, I can't fathom.  It can't possibly be more better to sweep long hair into a trash can when people could really use it.  You start by measuring the hair.  You need at least 10 inches.  Then you put it in a braid or pony tail and cut above the rubber band.  You put it in a plastic bag, fill out some paper work, and mail it away.  I would think that hair salons could cut the pony tail for you, hand it to you to put in a bag, and you could do the rest.  They don't.  So, with shaking hands and tears in my eyes, I cut my daughter's ponytail.  My daughter and husband weren't bothered at all.  I cut it long enough so that a hairdresser wouldn't make my daughter's hair too short fixing it.  She loves her new hairdo.  Tomorrow she gets to show her friends.  Today had me printing things off to take care of our house and scholarship opportunities for my children.  Seriously, if your child is in high school, start NOW on those scholarships!!!  One of my favorite things that my husband ever bought me was the printer.  Well, I'm going to grab a movie and some popcorn.  Have a great week.

6 November 2014

I have the fall, "Hey, can't we do something different?" feeling.  I didn't go to Church last night.  I'm not all that crazy about going to practice tonight.  I don't really have any game plan.  I just feel like doing something fun.  However, right now my family is in responsibility mode.  My husband is finishing his Master, literally.  My son is in college, and my daughter is plugging along in her first year of high school.  Each person in my family needs me in a special way, and all I want to do is go HAVE FUN!!!  Poor timing, wouldn't you agree?  Have a great week. 

5th November 2014

Today was a good school day.  But I'm in a weird place right now.  My husband won't be able to make mid service Bible study tonight.  I have to decide if my daughter and I should go without him.  I don't really know anyone at the study.  My daughter goes to a separate class.  She hasn't made any real friends, but she likes it most of the time.  I enjoy the study.  We are studying the book of Judges.  It is so much easier to go to Church when you have friends that go there too.  Sigh.  Well, I will let you know what I decided tomorrow.  Have a great week.

Letting Go

On Thanksgiving day, I will be 50 years old.  I'm pretty impressed with that because, well, I have never been 50 years old.  Today, in the mail, I got a invitation (for 16 bucks) to join the AARP.  I think I just might, to celebrate.  I've looked at women 50 and older.  A lot of them are really cool, and they look pretty put together.  I want to be cool and put together, too.  I'm not, though.  I got some work to do and some ugly to get rid of.  You see, I'm easily angered, and my feelings get hurt.  These two things just don't fit with the Bible's definition of love.  If I want to really follow Jesus Christ and not just be a hypocrite, I got to get rid of these two things.  There are some people I'm seriously angry with.  There are some people that have really hurt my feelings.  The weird thing is they either don't know this, or, sick as this is, they don't care. I really would like to "tell them off", but my fear is that they won't care.  I told my daughter to let a friend of hers know that she had hurt my daughter's feelings.  I believed that it was the right thing to do, and according to the Scripture about talking it out with someone who offends you, it was.  This was last June.  The girl dropped my daughter's friendship.  Oh, she was embarrassed about the way she treated my daughter, maybe even sorry.  But that was it.  A 13 year old friendship meant nothing to her.  That causes me to pause.  I once told off a person who had asked me if I had enjoyed burying my dad because, well, she reasoned, he was a Christian, and death is a time to celebrate.  Yes and no.  He is in heaven with his heavenly Father.  But, frankly, I would have preferred him staying here a bit more.  She never got in trouble, but I sure did.  My whole family paid the price for this.  I have forgiven her easily because I figured she was just young, and people say the stupidest things when other people lose loved ones.  I struggled with her boss, our pastor.  He told my husband that what she did was wrong, but he had to take her side because he was her boss.  A 10 year relationship meant nothing to him.  Truthfully, I'm not too keen getting close to another pastor.  That shouldn't be my attitude.  A 50 year old woman should take people as they really are, not compare them to people of her past.  I struggle with hurt feelings.  I really would like this not to be so.  This summer I learned something sad about a friend of mine.  She did not support me, or my decision to home school.  I found out after she let me know how unimportant it was for her family to come to my son's graduation.  I really don't know what to say to her.  Any mother in her right mind would know how much this would hurt another mother.  A 17 year friendship meant nothing to her.  Or, is it all a misunderstanding?  The rude comments that her husband and oldest son made about homeschoolers, were they just jokes or real insecurities?  What if that's it?  This family was just insecure with the choices they made.  I think their choices were pretty good ones.  But it really doesn't matter what I think.  What would Jesus really do in this situation?  Forgiveness seems to be the right thing, every time.  Yes, obviously, it is tough. Today I remembered working in a place where some of the people did not like me because of the color of my skin.  I really could not believe it.  I just wasn't raised around that, and I really don't get it.  When it happened 22 years ago, I was angry, and my feelings hurt.  I just could not understand someone disliking me for such a lame reason.  How can you fix that relationship?  I can't change my color.  It makes you mad.  But, still, forgiveness is the right thing.  Even in this extremely stupid situation.  Forgiveness.  I really want God to forgive me all the time that I blow it, and there are a whole lot of times I blow it.  He does.  I just thought of something I have never thought before.  God actually forgave us before we asked, for example, when Jesus asked for forgiveness for us while He was on the cross, saying that we did not know what we were doing. So, I really don't need to wait to forgive people when they ask for it.  I can just choose to forgive them and let it go.  I sure would like it to be easy.  Maybe with practice, it can be.  Definitely with God's help, it will be.  So, as I turn 50, I'm going to look to Jesus.  I'm going to forgive and forget what is behind me.  I'm going to live in the freedom Christ gave me.  I'm going to reach for the goal, and by God's grace, I'm going to be cool and put together.  Have a great week.

November 2, 2014

Can I do it? Can I blog every day this month?  I admire people's blogs so much, especially my families.  I need to try to commit to this more because I really do enjoy it.  Let's see, today's Church service was about hope.  No one can possibly get hope if they listen and believe lies.  A hopeless life is painful and despairing.  It is shifting and never solid.  Hope is so needed.  My family is doing well.  I hope that yours is also.  Have a great week.

10 August 2014

Well, it is official.  We are taking a step of faith, and our son is heading off to college later this month.  God will be taking care of him.  Of course, the argument is made that God has always taken care of him.  That is the total truth.  My clutching hands and frequent advice won't be part of my son's life unless he asks for it.  This is hard and easy at the same time.  Hard because my son isn't going to be around here all the time.  Easy because the Creator of all things will be the One my son can totally rely on.  God will come through for him.  Come on, you have to admit that is very cool!!  We will be spending five days there until his classes actually start.  My friend was so giving.  She gave my children lots of school supplies.  She also gave my daughter a dress she can make into her harvest costume and wedding dresses, one she really wanted to keep for the future and a couple we will probably be selling.  Actually, the wedding dresses came from my friend's 91 year old grandmother who use to make Barbie clothes out of them.  She doesn't do that anymore because of pain in her hands.  She does, however, weed wack her own yard!!!  That was what we found her doing when we went to visit her.  She is amazing!  I want to be that cool at 91.  I have got to get a hold of some stupid stuff in my life, though.  Otherwise, I won't be too cool dealing with the same stupid sins over and over.  But, you know, it isn't about trying harder.  That is a set up for failure.  It is about training better.  Remember that Paul, the apostle, reminds Christians that their life in Christ is a race.  Races are trained for.  That I can do because I can always turn to my Coach, the Holy Spirit.  He is so good at helping me, and He has even given me a Manual to study just to be better trained.  There is hope for me yet.  My daughter and I watched Anne of Green Gables with our friends.  I loved it, but she didn't.  Our friends left me with the second tape, and I believe my daughter would be willing to watch it with me.  Earlier this week, we went to the park with our friends.  The children acted out parts of the Lord of the Rings.  I absolutely love homeschoolers.  They just don't care what people think, hum, most of the time.  Hey, I really pray that you have a great week.

Two in a Row!?

Yes, I'm writing two blogs in a row.  We had a wonderful time with our friends at the river today.  Our children talked, splashed, and built while my friends and I talked.  It was a wonderful day.  We also celebrated hamburger day and chocolate day.  My husband had made us cheeseburgers for lunch.  There is a real renewed interest in the Hobbit so we replayed a video game that we owe.  Right now, my son is trying to come up with ideas for his birthday.  Have a great week. 

26 July 2014

I have discovered Pintrest.  Actually, my daughter showed me Pintrest.  I like it, and, like all things on the internet, it's addicting.  Let's see, this week brought a couple of trips to the park to play Frisbee, which we are all getting pretty good at.  My daughter and I did some baking- zucchini bread and blueberry cobbler.  We played video games, started a new devotional and book, implemented a reading time, went to Church, etc, etc.  The only thing we really aren't having fun doing is watching movies on movie night.  I mean, it's the same thing all the time, and good movies aren't exactly falling from the sky.  What is fascinating is what is viewed as worth seeing, and what is not worth seeing.  I'm learning how to be a person who doesn't give so much "advice" to my son.  It's a little harder than I thought it would be.  We did learn something cool in our devotionals that I like.  As a Christian, we should be in training, not in trying.  Trying just frustrates a person and gets little results.  However, training is doable, and the results are fruitful and everlasting.  Well, I just wanted to give an update.  Have a great week.

16 July 2014

This was one of those miss the good wife and mom days.  I know that Jesus said that no on was good except God.  I believe that.  I suppose it would be better to say that I didn't do well at being the wife and mom today.  Too bossy, too pushy, too worried.  Just too much.  However, there is never too much of God's grace on the situations of life, on me, and on my family.  That is just like God to give His grace away because, well frankly, God is good.  Have a great week.

July 12, 2014

A lot of things have happened since my last entry.  Our son has graduated high school!!  It was a wonderful ceremony that was held at the home of a wonderful family whose oldest daughter organized everything.  She also graduated this year.  We were very blessed, and my son was overwhelmed.  My son has also got two part- time jobs to help pay for college.  We are out of school for the summer, except for math and Bible Quizzing.  My daughter is considering starting a book club in the fall.  She really enjoys them.  I'm considering starting a high school drama club.  My husband took two months off from school to spend time with us this summer.  We have gone to the beach twice, which is a big deal where we live.  The weather is hot, but I like it.  We finally planted my daughter's apple tree.  It was a science experiment on a wet paper towel inside a plastic bag.  It sprouted and grew.  We are planning some more trees this way.  It is a lot cheaper than buying the tree.  Talk about a recycling plan.  We have picked a family friendly Church to attend that has lots of different opportunities for each of our family to serve in.  We went to a luncheon today and met some of the friendly staff there.  Some fun friend activities so far has been the Family Fun Center, laser tag, Chess tournament, and a small sleepover.  I hope all of you are also having a wonderful summer.

9 June 2014

Today was a great day.  My daughter zooms through her school, which I'm very happy about because I want to BE DONE!!!!!  My son has two more days before he is out of Running Start!!!!  My husband will be taking two months off so we can spend it totally familying (my word).   My daughter thinks that I'm cool but bizarre.  She is most likely correct.  We have started watering our dirt lawn today.  I'm sure I will grow the most beautiful moss in the neighborhood.  Well, that's about it.  Have a great week.  Oh, and daughter dear, I'm not kidding.  That is all I can think to write. 

25 May 2014

This week was a little tougher than last week.  Sometimes I allow the stress and urgency of life to turn me into a bear of a person as I take my eyes off Jesus.  We have secured our graduation plans.  So, that is terrific.  My daughter is so helpful and such an encouragement to me.  She took our son's picture, helped him make a guest list, and even looked up internet sites on invitations, diplomas, and how to do a homeschool graduation.  What a wonderful young lady she is.  We went to the river with our friends on Tuesday.  Everyone had such a blast.  Today we listened to a young man speak at Church.  He spoke about faith versus fear.  He had great personal stories to tie into the Word he was sharing from Romans 3.  He was an excellent speaker.  I really hope that we will be able to hear him again.  My son went on a job interview.  It lasted 15 minutes.  I haven't worked outside the home in 18 years, so I'm not sure if that is normal.  But, bless my son, he isn't worried about it.  He is just trusting the Lord to give him the job He wants him to have. My husband will be going away for school this coming week.  He loves going to these classes, even if it is hard work.  I really thought that I had more to say, but, for the life of me, I can't think of anything else.  Have a great week, everyone!

18 May 2014

We had a terrific week, and a lot of it was spent with our friends.  Monday, we went to art class.  My daughter drew a impressive city scape with a distant perspective.  My son and I visited his friend and my friend on Wednesday.  It was an enjoyable talk.  Friday, my daughter and I went hiking with our friends.  The children found a load of frogs.  Our hike was on a upgrade so it gave me quite a workout.  Saturday, my children's friends came over for our annual game tournament.  I give one after my children have completed at least one hundred days of school.  Well, at least that is my goal. This year, we did educational games.  They had a great time.  My son worked cameras at our Church this weekend.  We went to last night's service.  It was out of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.  It was basic sound Christianity.  One of the favorite things I heard was to lead a quiet life which means to live without drama.  I like that.  I also like how Scripture tells us to mind our own business.  Today, we watched the movie that won the first Oscar ever- Wings.  They have restored it.  The children weren't too fond of it, but I thought it was alright.  I probably won't watch it again.  But it was alright.  Have a great week.

13 May 2014

Oh, what a wonderful Mother's Day I had, and it just continued into today.  Sunday brought almost two hundred of our families pictures developed and ready for scrap booking.  I even got my own brag book that I was able to bring to art class yesterday where my wonderful friends "ooh" and "aah".  My husband and daughter treated us to French Toast, my favorite.  My son put a sweet song that he sang himself on my computer.  Then, we went to Church, and the sermon was actually about moms.  I haven't heard that in many Mother's Days.  We are looking into a new Church, the one we went to this weekend.  They played a You Tube video I think that is called "The Hardest Job Interview."  It really is good.  Then, moms all got to bring a rose home with them.  We came home and played family game tournament, which my daughter won!  Today, we went to see "Mom's Night Out".  It was a wonderful surprise after having a big breakfast, playing badminton, talking about the Lord, and my winning Monopoly.  It was a terrific movie.  I laughed and cried.  If you decide to go, stay through the credits.  Have a wonderful week.

May 4, 2014

Whew!!  Time ticks at this house.  We seem always busy, busy, busy!  My oldest is looking for scholarships and a job to take care of the rest of his tuition for (applause please!) Northwest Nazarene University!!  We were able to visit the school, and it just fit.  Getting into college isn't as hard as I thought.  The thing is is to start early, keep good records, know what most colleges require for their coming in freshmen, practice for the SAT or ACT, and pray.  Seriously, that's it.  Really, start looking for scholarships in their freshman year.  It is always good to get a head start.  Well,that is this old mom's advice for today!!  Have a great week.

Janurary 19, 2014

This week brought a pretty normal schedule.  With my son in college and working, and with only having one car, we have to stick to a pretty tight schedule. Sunday, my husband spent the morning with our daughter at a doughnut place that we like.  I didn't even know that it was open on Sundays.  That makes sense, though.  It is located in a small town.  Today that didn't happen.  We spent the morning talking over breakfast that my husband had cooked.  It was wonderful and encouraging to hear my children tell their dad what they were learning, especially in Latin.  My daughter even told him that she was starting to enjoy math, even from the dreadful Saxon math book.  Yesterday was make up work for my daughter, and my son was able to complete almost all of his college work.  When you are on the road, some things don't get done for school, and none of us read very well in the car.  We are a heavy literature based family.  So, it was good that we were able to use yesterday to play catch up.  On Monday, my son won't be going to college because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  So, we will do our Charlotte Mason Day then.  We usually do it on Saturdays because my son is free from college.  C. Mason Day involves poetry, art, music, Shakespeare, state and president study, geography, biographies, Bible Quizzing, science, and history.  It is one of our favorite days.  If I had more guts, and they weren't so far apart in age, I would do it every day and add sign language, writing, math, reading, and Latin.  I really like Charlotte Mason.  And classical.  And unit studies.  And unschooling.  And text books.  I pretty much like it all.  I love learning with my children and husband.  The world has so much to learn about and so many interesting people.  No wonder we need God. There isn't enough time in the day.  So, I'm grateful that the Lord directs our path. (Proverbs 16:9- A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.)  Have a fantastic week.

12 January 2014

Last week, we went back to school.  We only accomplished three days, sort of.  My husband was out of town, so I had to do a lot of driving to get my son back and forth to college and so on.  We are a one car family.  It is a pretty good schedule we have set up for this quarter, and I believe it will work out well.  Well, today was spent watching movies and You Tube on the couch.  We did go to Church and were able to have lunch with the dad.  Other than that, we relaxed.  The upcoming week should be a bit more school productive.  Have a great week.