Life is School

(picture taken in our living room)

A Summer Re-Run (orginally published 6/5/07)

Recently I was sharing (whining) to one of my daughters about having to do something I didn’t really want to do. Something that will infringe on what I want to do with my time. Circumstances over which I will have no control.

My daughter, Erin, who is facing a huge change in her life with her husband heading to Iraq for a year reminded me, “Mom, I hear what you say all the time echo in my head many times a day: ‘Your life is not your own, you’ve been bought with a price.’”

Later that same day, I was having a heart-to-heart with another daughter, Anna who has recently moved to her own apartment after starting a new job. She is experiencing many changes and a few struggles in her young life. After sharing some of those struggles with me she said, “But mom, I remember you always saying, ‘Your life is not your own, you’ve been bought with a price.’” She went on, “I’m learning that life is not all about me.”

I thought, “OK, Lord….I hear You.”

Isn’t it funny how our own words, or more accurately, Paul’s words, come back to us?

My own daughters are now teaching me, reminding me that life is a continual learning process.

Some of this I thought I would have down by now, but I know I still have a long way to go. Thankfully, the One who purchased my life is also very patient to remind me that it’s really not all about me.

And that’s a good thing!

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. I Corinthians 6:19-20

School....Already?

I’ve got some school-year planning to do, but I’m really putting it off. I think I’m trying to get the most out of summertime.

I have a few more things I want to do before I have to think too much about the next academic year.

How about you?

1. When do your kids begin school?
2. What do you need to prepare to be ready?
3. What are you going to do with the time you have left?

I’ll go first.

1. We never begin school until the Tuesday after Labor Day (I’m just rebellious like that) ;)

2. I need to do some Algebra 2 review, plan some science and World History and get together some Bible teachings and memory work. I also plan to do a book study on dating (or not dating) with the boys.

3. Get Theresa’s room ready
Swim
Have lunch with my girls, sister and mom
Have a few more family get-togethers
Go to Wichita Wildlife Refuge and climb Eagle Mountain
Go on some more motorcycle rides
Replace the window covering in my living room

Your turn.

A Happy Heart

Relationships take work and both people must be willing to give 100% of themselves for the other person. Do you agree?

There’s no doubt my oldest son’s first marriage didn’t go well. And he would be the first to take responsibility for his weaknesses and shortcomings. He's said so.

But, in any dissolved relationship, there is usually one person who is ultimately rejected by the other. And he was rejected.

I’ve seen Andrew go from the deepest, darkest depths of immeasurable pain to a place where, in his own words, “it seems too unbelievable and too easy”.

I tell you this to explain how much my mother’s heart rejoices at the story Abbi shares on her blog today.

Andrew recognized the emotional pain a sales lady was experiencing and was able to encourage this woman to have hope!

Read the story of how he knew it was time to “pop the question”. You’ll be blessed….or at least, I was!

We're Having A Daughter!

“I’m going to be your daughter!”

She enters with our oldest son, Andrew, a smile bigger than the one she usually wears, if that is even possible.

And we couldn’t be happier. Abbi Zeliff is going to be our daughter-in-love!

Sierra (9) and Mesa (6), Andrew’s daughters, were at our house waiting for their dad to get back from his special date with Abbi.

That is when Mesa first heard the news. She was so excited. She kept asking, “Mimi, aren’t you so excited for us?” and “Mimi, are you coming to our wedding?” and “We have to make sure Aunt Erin, Aunt Ali, Aunt Anna and Aunt Kate-Kate come to our wedding”.

I understand Sierra has already started a notebook called “Wedding Ideas”.

And I was teary all day since Andrew told me that morning that he was asking her to marry him.

He called his dad and all his siblings to tell them---now that’s a few phone calls.

But, I lost it again that evening when he asked Sierra and Mesa to walk him down the aisle at the wedding.

Abbi will be posting the story that leads up to Andrew’s question tomorrow. Don’t miss it. It will bless you, I promise!

I couldn’t be happier if I had chosen her myself….oh wait! Maybe I did! ; )

Friday Finds

My new friend, Theresa wrote something to think about. Read it here.

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Anna wrote some fun fiction this week. Start here and then read all three posts. Let her know what you think ;)

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Do you get Hungry Girl's daily e-mails? They are great for low-calorie eating ideas, even eating out suggestions and warnings. Also, they list Weight Watchers points on their product recommendations.

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And today is this girl's birthday! Give her a little love!!
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Weekend plans? Plenty of work around here, canning dill pickles, freezing more green beans, church on Saturday night. A day of rest on Sunday? Wow! What a concept!

What are you doing this weekend?

Am I Doing Enough? (Part 1)

A Summer Re-run (originally posted 7/22/07)


This question has been resounding in my spirit for a few weeks now. In separate conversations with home educating moms, this question was a heart-cry of three different people.

“Every night when I lay down to sleep, I just worry."
‘Today, have I done everything I could to direct and teach my children?’”
“How do I know I’ve covered everything that needs to be covered?”
“Am I doing enough or requiring too much?”

These are legitimate questions, but also ones that can bind us up in frustration and insecurities that will only pull us and our children down. Most of us are concerned that we’ll forget to teach some subject or an area that will end up being a hindrance to our children’s future. We feel that deep responsibility to make sure we’re “covering it all”.

Guess what? We won’t cover it all. We’ll leave gaps. There will be things we forget, don’t know to teach, or don’t do a very good job teaching. And if we’re fearful and concerned at night or at the end of a school year that we somehow failed, maybe our focus is on the wrong thing.

Is our real goal as home educating moms to raise superior academics; straight A students; cum Laude college grads?

Or has God called us to raise children whose hearts are completely turned toward Him? To guide them into a heritage of love and godliness that will continue long after we’re gone?

At the end of the day, or the end of 12th grade, my goal is to have poured my love into my children’s hearts. To have shown them the importance of choosing for themselves a life dedicated to a relationship with Jesus. To make opportunities for their character to be challenged to become the men and women that God has called them to be.

I’ve seen the fruit of that goal lived out in the lives of my five oldest children. What a blessing!

Did we leave gaps in teaching our children? Of course. Plenty. But God is faithful to teach them everything we didn't or couldn't. After all, He loves them even more than we do!

EVERYTHING that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak."
2 Cor. 12:9 NIRV

Overwhelmed By Our Blessings

Mark 6:31-34

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

Jesus went through it too. He understands.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.

Sound familiar? Like your life on any given day? Jesus was overwhelmed too.

He was human.

And He was God.

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

May we all have the strength and heart of our Father to teach our “crowd” many things even when we are overwhelmed by our blessings.

Psalm 62:11 (The Message)

God said this once and for all;

how many times have I heard it repeated?

"Strength comes straight from God."