Friday Finds

A beautiful description of one girl’s relationship with the Savior. She is now dancing in His presence. A heartbreaking, heartwarming story. It's a little long (for you impatient readers ;-), but read to the end. I promise it will be worth it! Read all the posts this week—you’ll be blessed!

A great idea for getting a point across---can’t wait to read more, Kim

One mom’s positive answers to the prying or curious--- “Are these all yours?”

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The Ballroom Dancing class at Transformations Health Center (south of 33rd on Kelly in Edmond) is now offering beginning classes every Friday evening at 7:00 pm (except the 3rd Friday). $15. a couple Lots of fun! E-mail me for more details.
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It’s voting day next Tuesday. We’ve been studying the Presidential election process and the boys, Dirk and I are doing research on the candidates and where they stand on the issues. Maybe I’ll post some of our findings.

Know who you’ll vote for?

Are you telling?

Oh, Brother!

Seeing and hearing the interaction between my two youngest sons is sometimes a nightmare, but also a blessing. They are in their teens now, Kody, 15 and Jacob, 13. Hearing them laugh about a shared experience at church, teasing one another about girls, watching them challenge each other at basketball—these are all daily experiences that either send me over the edge, or get me to laughing. These two keep me young and make me old.

I’m watching them change from boys into young men.

Yeah, they fuss. They fight. They call each other names. They are enemies and best friends—sometimes within the same minute.

They are brothers.

Do you have a sibling who is like that to you?

I think I’ll call my sister today.

We Like to Read

One of the favorite things we did on our vacation was READ! I’m talking read without interruptions!! I know…a lot of you can’t even imagine. But, Dirk read two books and I got in three.

Dirk read Volunteer Revolution by Bill Hybels and Journey of Desire by John Eldredge. I read one of Angela Hunt’s novels, You Were Made for Love by Phillip Carlson, and a great novel Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

(This is me reading Peace Like a River while sitting in the ocean. I thought that was funny.)

I’ll be sharing more from You Were Made for Love soon. And I’m going to ask Dirk to tell us about Volunteer Revolution. (This book really got him pumped—and he will study Journey of Desire for some time.)

But if you like to read, I highly recommend Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. This is a novel written by a young man who captured me with his unique writing style. Written in first person, the story is narrated by an 11-year old boy during the early 1960’s in Minnesota. It’s the story of a family’s faith in God as a provider. It’s amazing! I’m going to see if my boys will read it.
Have you read any of these books? Have any good ones to recommend?

It Was One of Those Days......#2

So, we started school work again today after returning from our vacation. The boys were left with instructions to get some work done while we were gone, and they did pretty well. But, 7:30 am came suddenly this morning. My boys were NOT very excited about math, vocabulary, or even Bible memory work…not that they ever are, really. But we trudged on, with the usual mom-rhetoric, “We all have to do things we don’t like”, “Come on,” “Get goin’!” “Pay attention”. Some attitude started showing: the slam of a book, a sigh, a groan….and then the boys started having attitudes too! :-)

So, I’m just telling you…some days are plain H-A-R-D hard.

But, guess what! Tomorrow’s a new day. I think I can have a better attitude tomorrow, and I’ll bet my boys will too.

Thank God-------

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

It Was One of Those Days #1

Committed?

We just returned from eleven days of vacation, eight of which were spent on a cruise ship with 3000 people from all over the world. Three of those 3000, we’ve cruised with yearly now for 3 years. Strangers, until that first cruise, we chat on-line throughout the year, then meet for a week each year and enjoy each other’s company. This year we met two more couples. The nine of us would eat together each night and spend our time together at the ports our ship visited. We all share a common interest ---cruising.

This unique and fun relationship got me to thinking. How is it that we can spend one week a year with otherwise complete strangers, enjoying their company and seemingly, them enjoying ours? I’ve decided it comes down to commitment. We were all committed to spending a delightful week together with the common goal of having fun, rest and relaxation.

Commitment is the beginning place of getting to know the needs and desires of those around us. When we are together seeking a common goal, we will go beyond the natural tendencies of taking care of our own needs and begin seeing what we can do for those who share that commitment. With cruising, the commitment is easy. It’s all about recreation. There’s not a lot of opportunity for discord, or disagreements. And while it’s fun for a week, as cruising buddies, we only know a part of each other. Unlike a lot of you, these people don’t know and share in the disappointments, heartaches, and failures I’ve experienced as a mom and wife.

So, my fellow blog readers, family and friends, thank you for being committed to sticking with me the remaining 354 days of the year. I look forward to growing through the mess-ups and victories of life with the common goal of living each day and loving each other to the fullest!

Or, maybe, this makes no sense, and I just need to be institutionally committed? ;-)

PS - We had a lot of fun!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane....

Yay! Woo-hoo! Yee-haw!! Woot!! We’re gone!!

While Dirk and I are on our cruise for the next 11 days (count 'em----EE-lev-en!) check out some people on my blogroll. Some of these friends are homeschool moms, some are pastors, some of them I’ve never met face-to-face, but they all have content that will stretch your hearts and minds.

*Check out this post for a real mind-stretcher. What do you think? Leave a comment and look at the original web-site.

Also, read back over some earlier posts here. At the bottom of this page there is an index of sorts, listing past blogs.

Leave some comments, ask some questions.

What is your favorite vacation? Or what would you LIKE to do, given the opportunity?
What is your favorite academic subject to teach? Why? What's difficult for you?
What are some things you’re struggling with?
What are some things you’ve recently overcome?
What’s a great date-night idea? Plan one!! Trade babysitting with a friend. Do it!!
What teachable moment did you encounter recently? What did you teach and how did you teach it?
What are some things you’d like to see discussed on this blog?

I’ll get back with you by Monday, January 28. (...if we come back....j/k)

You've Got the Power!

How cool is your home?

I’m not talking weather. I’m talking about the quality and level of peace in your family relationships.

I’ll admit, there were days that I’d be carrying a bag of guilt and hurt feelings from a disagreement with Dirk. Or I’d be steamed because of the attitude of one of my children. But, I learned that my attitude filtered down into the hearts and attitudes of my children. And they acted out from the mood and tone I would set for the day.

I learned that the environment of my home began with the level of peace in my heart.

God wants us to be peacemakers. We are the ones who set the thermostat of our family’s day.

What’s the temperature in your heart, in your home?

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NAS)