The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week...I need to make dental appointments, check-up appointments and reserve library books.

In our homeschool this week...

We finished our marsupial study today by making pouches with joeys in them. Lukas made a red kangaroo, and Ava made a koala. Tomorrow, we'll begin studying birds in science, and I hope to get our bird feeder put up this week (we only use it in fall and winter).

 

Ava is reviewing addition facts. Lukas is 1/4 of the way through his math program as of last Friday. He is thrilled about starting the next quarter.

 

We're reading Miss Rumphius, which is a sweet story that we're already in love with after just one read-aloud. We're doing lots of social studies with this story. 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...Just keep plugging away.

I am inspired by...long-lasting marriages that are actually happy.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...Dad has another medical test this Friday which I'll take him to. The kids will get to hang-out with Nana. On Saturday, Lukas has Upward basketball evaluations.

One of my favorite things...candlelight. It makes everything beautiful.

What's working/not working for us...flying by the seat of my pants. It never works, but it seems to be what we are making work lately. I need to spend some time planning for the next 5 1/2 weeks of school left until our Christmas break.

Questions/thoughts I have...I'm looking for read-aloud ideas that your kids have loved. I have lots of resources, but what are you favorites?

Things I'm working on...necessary confrontation. Or I'm thinking about working on it.

I'm cooking...pasta with turkey, butternut squash and brown butter. Irish soda bread. Apple crisp. Chickpea curry. Egg salad. 

 

I'm reading...back to Made to Crave this week now that the book review I had due on Friday is finished.

I'm grateful for...natural health remedies that don't have side-effects.

I'm praying for...a couple relationships in our lives that are strained.

A photo to share...

 

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Welcome Home Daddy: A Gabby Moms Review

This past Sunday was a glorious day. The sun was shining. The temperature was warm for this time of year. We went to church in the morning, and one of the ladies from our church delivered a message to the women of the church about being godly women and wives. Afterward, we spent the afternoon with my parents, and then we headed back to church for musical rehearsal and Sunday School in the evening. Doesn't that sound like a nice way to spend a Sunday? 

When we got home, I was overcome with a bad attitude. Looking back, it made no sense whatsoever. I had a fantastic day, but, as soon as I got home, I was tired and cranky, and we all know that when mama is tired and cranky, she has the ability to upset the fruit basket completely. I was definitely in that kind of mood. I finally sat in a living room chair away from my family for a few minutes and paused, thinking about what everyone had done to me to put me in this mood. I couldn't come up with anything! I sincerely apologized to my family. In response to something I said in my little apology, Eric began to smile, walked across the room, sincerely said he agreed with what I had said, started to laugh and then leaned down to kiss me. It was a moment in which I could choose to be upset with my husband because he was unapologetically agreeing with my explanation of my attitude, or I could decide to smile in the moment and laugh. I chose the latter. We both laughed so much that he could barely give me that kiss. Then, the kids were laughing with us (or maybe they were laughing at us). That laughter turned my attitude around and changed the atmosphere of our home for the rest of the evening.

In Lorrie Flem's book, Welcome Home Daddy, Traditional Values for Modern Mothers, Lorrie dedicated an entire chapter to this very idea. The stories she told in this particular chapter were so funny that I laughed hard enough to cause my husband to ask me what was so funny. He wasn't even in the same room with me! Even now, I'm smiling again thinking about one of the stories she shared, which I hope you will read when you get a copy of this book!

Don't we all need to laugh more often? We laugh a lot in this house, but, still, we can always use more laughter. This is one of many, many points that Lorrie made in this little treasure.  The entire book was filled with ideas on how we, as wives and moms, can make the atmosphere of our home better. Making a nice meal each night isn't just about eating, for example, it's about loving your family. Everything we do as wives and moms comes down to this simple fact. If we love our families, we will serve them in a multitude of ways. Making our homes a place where our husbands and children want to return to relax and enjoy each other is a big responsibility, but it is such a worthwhile calling. Lorrie has written this timeless book for modern moms to show us how we can do it even when there are toddlers at our knees and teenagers needing rides; we can still purpose to make our home a shelter from the storms of life. 

For instance, my children set our table each evening for dinner. Last year, I began to purpose to make the table look special more often. Sometimes we'll use a table cloth, or we'll set a little decoration at one end of the table. The kids enjoy putting candlesticks on the table more than anything. One evening, they did all of this unbeknown to me. I walked into the dining room and found the table dressed to the 9s, so to speak. Why did my children do this? Because they have learned that dinner time, with just the four of us, is special enough to dress things up a little because they are special. If we're willing to do these things for company, why not show the people we love the most that they deserve it too?

One thing that Lorrie mentioned in the book a few times that I really appreciated was that she understands that this concept can be overwhelming during certain seasons of life. Afterall, having 8 children of her own, she has been there! One of the subtle themes that I noticed is this, "If you can't do it all, just do something." I don't know that she said those exact words, but that is one point that she made more than once. We can all do something to make our homes a respite. You may be juggling 3 children under the age of 5, and your husband may walk into a messy living room. You can still greet him at the door with a kiss on the cheek and welcoming words on your lips so that he knows you want him there.

You can get your copy of this book, Welcome Home Daddy, at www.eternalencouragement.com. You will also find many other fantastic resources in their shop and on their website. There are several other products that complement this book that I am excited about! I recommend starting with this book. It is $17.97 plus shipping, and it is a book worth reading! Lorrie's ideas are simple and easy to implement in your home.  If you want to read some other reviews of this book as well as find some other great Christian mom bloggers to follow, check out the Gabby Moms Blog.

The last thing I want to mention to you is that Eternal Encouragement is also looking for new blogging moms to join the Gabby Moms program in 2012. Are you interested? I can tell you that I have enjoyed doing this program very much. I have been blessed, encouraged and challenged throughout this year by the products offered on the Eternal Encouragment site. I encourage you to think about it. It could be a lot of fun for you, and what mom doesn't need more fun in her life?

This post was written in accordance with the Gabby Moms program. I was in no way compensated for this post.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week...I see blessings everywhere I look. I feel like God is just pouring his love on me and my family lately.

In our homeschool this week...We read the book of Jonah Friday and Saturday, so we watched the VeggieTales movie this evening just for kicks. God taught me new things through this study of Jonah. Isn't that the way it often works when WE are teaching our KIDS? 

We'll be learning about marsupials in science this week, and we started reading Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car for Five in a Row today. Quite frankly, the moral of the story is, well, not really there. None of us liked it, so I need to look more in depth at the unit to see if we're even going to bother with it. There are too many great books to waste our time on one that we don't like. 

Ava is finishing Math-U-See Alpha on Wednesday, and we're going to spend some time drilling math facts before moving onto Beta in a few weeks (or whenever I think she's got more of them down). Lukas is doing super well in math. I've never given him a grade before, but I would estimate that he carried a B last year with Math-U-See, and he worked so hard for it. I checked his grade with Teaching Textbooks, and he's currently carrying a 96 and not working nearly so hard so far!!!! Vision therapy and a curriculum change have helped him so much!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...If your child isn't getting something or even if life takes over and you fall behind, just keep plugging away. Do the next thing even if you think your child is behind. They'll blossom when they're ready.

I am inspired by...books. Fiction. Non-fiction. Self-help. Devotionals. Children's lit. Picture books. Christian fiction. Literature. The Bible. Books, books, books.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...Tomorrow, we're having somewhat of a field trip day. We're taking advantage of the expected 68 degree, sunny day by taking school photos outdoors and then picking up my mom and picnicking. I think we're going to Warsaw Park. My kids have never played there, so I'm excited to share yet another of my favorite places with them!!! Thursday is trick-or-treat night around here, and the kids want to dress up and pass out candy (we don't do the door-to-door thing because we try to avoid the dark side of the event). Friday, the kids will go to trunk-or-treat at our church with my parents, and Eric and I will head to Dublin for a very nice dinner with some AFLAC colleagues. 

One of my favorite things...Family worship. Tonight, Eric taught from our devotional, and then we had a longer-than-usual time of worship through music. It was so obvious that the Holy Spirit was right here in our living room.

What's working/not working for us...Answers is Genesis Science is going very well. The kids weren't sure about it at first, but, on Friday, Lukas told me that science is his favorite. Of course, tomorrow, his favorite might be math, and next week it might be writing in his journal. He has lots of favorites.

Questions/thoughts I have...Be purposeful about the relationships with the people you love. People should be more important to you than any of the activities in which you are involved or even the everyday duties of a being a mom.

Things I'm working on...showing grace.

I'm cooking...pork fried rice with trimmed pork (My desire to make sure it was lean meant taking 20 minutes to trim and slice it before cooking. This meal will not be featured on Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals), carrots, peas, cabbage, onion, and brown rice. Delicious and healthy (since I don't technically "fry" it).

Tomorrow, I'm finally getting around to the meal the kids planned. From scratch, oven-baked chicken strips, baked tater tots, green beans, peaches and ice cream. I will not eat the ice cream because it would likely make me sick.

I'm also making homemade vegetable soup this week. I already have the ground beef browned and ready for the crock on Wednesday. I'll serve it with a fresh loaf of bread and locally made apple butter. It's the best!

I'm reading...The Last Battle. I love the Narnia series, and my children now absolutely love it. BUT...I'm truthfully ready to read something different. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if we all go through withdrawl when we're done.

I'm grateful for...spontaneous visits with my parents. Yesterday, we decided to head to their house after church and then spent the entire afternoon there.

I'm praying for...encouragement for my husband.

A photo to share...

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The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week...A new, earlier morning routine is starting so that Daddy can join us for our morning Bible lesson. By the end of this week, I will most likely be thoroughly pooped.

In our homeschool this week...We're studying mammals. Today we wrapped up a couple lessons on primates and covered some apologetics concerning evolution that really interested Lukas(You know he's interested when he shares the info with Daddy over dinner). We'll start aquatic animals on Wednesday. We're reading Harold and the Purple Crayon for Five in a Row and will do a couple art lessons with it. Ava did some cooking today. We made pumpkin crumb cake (thanks to pinterest). Lukas will be doing lots of writing this week.

I am inspired by...this season of my life. God is teaching me so much.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We're off to Hilliard tomorrow for vision therapy. Two trips to church this week, one for KidStuff and one for Christmas choir rehearsal. 

One of my favorite things...The Fall Foliage tour we took yesterday. It was nothing like I imagined, and we had so much fun enjoying God's creation as a family.

What's working/not working for us...We're using Our 24 Family Ways for our evening Bible teaching time with the kids, and I'm using the Bible verses and family way as copy work each week. We're also memorizing the verses, and Lukas uses the verse for dictation as well. It is helping so much to build character in our kids, and they're hiding so much of the Word in their hearts!

Questions/thoughts I have...Don't you think it's amazing how God uses autumn, the death of so many things, to show us that there is beauty even in death? And, think about it... Those trees aren't dead. They just appear to be, just like we just appear to be dead when our earthly bodies die. This is the beauty of this season for me.

Things I'm working on...using words that edify rather than hurt.

I'm cooking...pork sirloin, dressing and cabbage with pumpkin crumb cake for dessert. I also made chocolate peanut butter granola bars today.

I'm reading...Welcome Home, Daddy, Traditional Values for Modern Mothers by Lorrie Flem(a review will be coming for Gabby Moms).

I'm grateful for...the way God is stretching and growing us and teaching us to trust.

I'm praying for...financial and job situations.

A photo to share...

 

 

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Men of Faith

I was moved to tears. One man stood up, walked to the alter and kneeled before the Lord. A second man joined him. My husband joined them. Before all was said and done, the alter was filled from one side of the sanctuary to the other with men seeking to do the Lord's will for their families. Desiring to lead their families closer to Christ. To do right things. Good things. Godly things. To love Jesus better. To love their wives and children better. To be present in their homes. Mentally present, actively present, not just physically present. To live out their faith in the place where it is most important with the people who are most important, in their homes with their families.

As I sat in my seat watching this take place, I was in awe of what God was doing in our church. The world is looking for a way to return to our roots, to the way things used to be when marriages stood the test of time and families spent time together. Remember the Nickelodeon commercials a few years ago about the family table? I don't believe that eating together is going to necessarily save the family, though it will help, but we actually DO have the answer! The church knows this answer! It starts with the men of the church stepping up and doing right things, restructuring their priorities so that their families see God in His proper place followed by the family in second place. This is the way God designed things. A man's first place of ministry is within his home (a woman's too) and it should be more important than any other ministry, job or hobby.

I am excited for these men who stepped forward this morning and made new commitments or renewed old ones, who know they don't have it all right yet, but they're on the journey to get it there. I'm proud to say that, as I listened to today's sermon, I knew my husband was already working toward these things even though I know he would tell you that he doesn't have it all figured out yet. He's moving forward toward Jesus, and that's what matters. Instead of using the lack of a good earthly example as an excuse, he is rising above excuses and becoming the man God intends for him to be. I am blessed. Truly. I love this man.

If Christian men made and kept these commitments to love their families and lead them toward Jesus, can you imagine the impact we would have on the world? If the world could look at Christian families and see a difference, it would be contagious. Jesus is contagious. This is what I am praying for. Impacting the world starts at home. I'm so excited about what God can do through families who choose His ways. I can't wait to see what God does through the faithfulness of these men who stepped forward this morning in faith. God is amazing, and this morning, I got to His awe-inspiring presence at the alter in the sanctuary of our church. This is a blessing that I will not soon forget.

Bad Habits Rearing their Ugly Heads or The Joy of Submitting to My Husband

I love the way the Lord has designed the family. I realize that any woman who subscribes to the mantras of the feminist regime is probably cringing at this very idea of a woman being submissive to her husband, but I  love it. Putting into place the proper order of authority in a household brings blessing to everyone in the family. 

In the past, we have had this hierarchy of responsibility wrong in our house, which is why I can say that things are so much better the way they are now, with Eric submitting to the Lord and me submitting to him and the Lord. It takes an immense burden off my shoulders. If only other women knew how much of a burden they are carrying by not doing things this way! It's amazing how much less stress you will feel if you work at submitting to your husband (although, it didn't feel like less stress at first for me). Sometimes, if I'm telling the whole truth, I have to admit that I fall into old habits, and that is where this story comes into play.

Eric has always helped me to choose our homeschooling curriculum, but this year he helped even more than usual. I especially wanted to seek his opinion of our Bible curriculum. We didn't have a lot of money to spend. I wasn't able to purchase the material that I had hoped to purchase for this school year, but we have so many resources on hand that this didn't matter. One way or another, our Bible curriculum was covered.

The week before school started, Eric suggested that we simply continue where we left off last year, studying the Old Testament and correlating it with Victor Journey Through the Bible. Being always submissive of heart, I, of course, accepted this idea immediately and determined to do it even if I didn't want to. I flitted to the bookshelves, pulled out the book and began to absorb the material with fervor, getting more and more excited about how much the kids were going to love it. 

Ok. That's not true. If it was, I wouldn't be telling you this story.

I did my let's-discuss-this-til-we-agree thing that I do (did I just write that?) which really means let's-discuss-this-til-you-agree-with-me (again, did I say that?), and Eric said something like, "Well, you can try that devotional that you like if you want since you're the one teaching it, but this is what I think is going to be the best thing for our kids." Right. I looked through both books. I remembered our last school year and how much I wanted to distance myself from it. Victory Journey Through the Bible was one of last year's books, and I wanted a completely fresh start. Still, this book is a great book. Not all of last school year was terrible. I thought about it. I prayed. I listened to the Holy Spirit.

I don't remember the name of the devotional now because I ended up submitting to Eric's authority on this one. It only took the Lord about half a day to remind me that I was supposed to allow my husband to lead on issues such as this one even if I didn't agree. The thing is, I didn't actually disagree with Eric. I was just falling into my old, very bad habit of not trusting my husband to be the leader God designed him to be.

What did God do with my submission? My kids are absolutely loving our morning Bible lesson. On the days when I have chosen to plan to read half a passage(because some of the passages are several chapters in length), thus eliminating the need to read from Victory Journey Through the Bible until we've read the other half the next day, they are disappointed. They love it. LOVE!

And me? I'm enjoying it too. Watching the kids gleaning information straight from the Word without anyone watering it down or needing to explain every single detail is amazing. Amazing! I'm so glad for Eric's leadership in our home. Next time, I'll just listen to my husband in the first place and save myself a lot of time and energy. I hope. That is the way the Lord intended things to be afterall, and I find that doing things His way is always best.

Television Filters and Sibling Relationships

After a rather chaotic 6 months of life, things were getting a little harried around here. Over the summer, I began to wonder if my children actually really liked each other anymore. There are lots of reasons for this breakdown in their friendship, and I realize that most people, sadly, even Christians, would just dismiss it as normal sibling rivalry, but we have chosen to address it rather than dismiss it as normal. We generally don't aim for normal in the McEvoy household (as if you haven't noticed this).

Moving to a new town took it's toll on our kids, though none of us regret this move. It isn't easy for kids to move and start their lives over. Everything was new, and that's just hard, isn't it? It's hard on adults who are more in control of our situations, so it must be harder on kids. We had other things going on during that 6 month time period that lent to this disconnect as well. One of the biggest culprits, I believe, was the television. Too much TV is never good, and we have noticed that most TV is filled with negative sibling relationships. In fact, have you noticed that most TV shows make the family look like a completely disfunctional, comedic landmine? It's ridiculous. No child needs to watch a TV show in which the children are given power over adults, treat their siblings and parents as if they are stupid or worth less than their friends and have little to no recognizable authority figures in their lives who they actually respect.

This has become a pet-peeve of mine. I get tired of parents saying that the programs they choose to allow their children to watch don't effect their children in any way. Bologna! The Bible is very clear when it says that we will become like those things with which we fill our minds. If your children are spending their down time watching television shows in which children have no respect for their parents and get away with it, then don't be surprised when they try the same thing with you. If the shows they watch show older siblings treating younger siblings like they are beneath them, then expect that same attitude to show up in the relationships of your own children.

This is obviously one topic that I am very passionate about. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we have watched this happen in our own home when we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the television rules held in other households, and we have seen a definitive change in our children in the last 6 weeks when we have addressed this issue fervently. Sometimes, we Christians strive too hard to look like the outside world, to look worldly, to put it bluntly, and we use the excuse that we're trying to look attractive to non-believers. That is a topic that will eventually become a blog post of it's own, but it serves to support my point in this post as well. Our children don't need to watch the Disney Channel to be able to attract others to Christ. I challenge you not to walk this very fine and dangerous line with your children.

I will end this post with this. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8. Live this verse. Teach your children to live this verse. If the programs they are choosing to watch on television don't fit within the confines of this verse, then help them to learn to filter them out (if they are old enough). And be a good example. Filter your entertainment choices through the same filter. I promise that this will only benefit your family.

The Homeschool Journal

 

In my life this week...the Lord is lifting my spirit.

In our homeschool this week...We didn't have school today. The rest of the week looks a lot like last week. We'll be reading a couple more picture books that take place before the Civil War and comparing them to Follow the Drinking Gourd, and we're working on learning a few tunes including Follow the Drinking Gourd, Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore and Wade in the Water. And I'm chording. Yeah. If you know me, then you know how terrible that sounds, but I'm doing it, which is a feat for this music educator.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...Don't be afraid to take a day off when life is full and busy. My kids just got a 4 day weekend. However, they officially went on a field trip with friends on Friday and went hiking to a waterfall, and they did a little bit of school work with those friends as well. So I guess they didn't really have a 4 day weekend.

I am inspired by...my husband when he teaches from scripture during our family worship time.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We saw my folks today. We'll be going to church this week and to the Applebutter Festival this weekend where we'll be working with our church demonstrating and helping kids complete some really cool crafts.

One of my favorite things...music. Whatever mood I'm in, there's always something musical to complement my mood.

What's working/not working for us...We're using Five in a Row for social studies and history for the time being. It means that there is no fluidity in our history study right now, but it's working well anyway.

Questions/thoughts I have...Children really do listen to the lyrics of music. Why do parents think that they don't? Don't we hear the words? If we're hearing the words, so are our kids, so we should be more careful with the music we choose to bring into our homes.

Things I'm working on...obedience.

I'm cooking...whole wheat pasta tossed with peppers, onion, mushrooms, Italian sausage and garlic.

I'm reading...Made to Crave. 5 chapters in, and I had to stop for a couple days just to think about chapters 4 and 5 for a while.

I'm grateful for...the report we got from my dad's cardiologist on Friday and the way God provided for us last Friday as well. Friday brought us many blessings.

I'm praying for...financial and job situations. Still.

A video to share...

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Be Gentle to All

This post comes to you courtesy of a quote I saw on Facebook recently. "Be gentle to all and stern with yourself." I don't know who said this originally, but it was posted in my dad's status. It got me thinking about how I want to live my life doing exactly what this quote says. Isn't this exactly what Christians are called to do?

Isn't it interesting that almost everyone looks at life through their own experiences and assumes that, if everyone else just did the same thing that they do, everything would be fine? I know I am guilty of doing this too often. I am learning to do this less and less, and I have learned that, even if I see someone doing something that they would probably be better off doing my way (because I am infinitely smarter and right about everything, uh-hem, arrogant), to keep my mouth shut.

This is a hard lesson to learn. I know I'm not 100% successful at implementing this lesson, but I try to look at others' lives with a wider scope than the one I give myself. I think this is a good lesson to learn. Most of us tend to give ourselves more grace than we give those around us. We judge people harshly for doing the same things that we do and then let ourselves off the hook. We look at our lives and how far we have come and think, "Why haven't they learned this yet? Why are they doing such ridiculous things?"

To protect our relationships, I firmly believe that we need to take a step back and realize that no two people have the same experiences in life, that the way God works in our lives is not exactly the way He chooses to work in someone else's life, that we are each unique and on our own journey, and that, if someone hasn't learned what we have learned, it doesn't mean that they aren't as wise or mature or spiritual as we are. It just means that they haven't made it through that lesson yet.

If we really open our eyes, then we will see that we can learn from that person. Through showing them grace and allowing the Lord to work in their lives rather than making a personal attempt at fulfilling the role of the Holy Spirit (an impossibility that will only bring you heartache. I know this from experience), we can then step back and see how the Lord has taught them lessons that he hasn't taught us yet. That's right! Put the shoe on the other foot, and see how far you get! I am certain you will find something that you didn't see, something in that other person's life that is convicting to you. 

Let's give this a try.  

"Be gentle to all and stern with yourself."

Choosing Joy

I don't even know what to say about this week. It was...not my best. By "not my best" I actually mean that I wasn't really up to the task of managing this week. When mama isn't at her best, it seems like everything else crumbles a little. I found myself needing extra time with my Father and extra snuggles from my husband. We started school two days in a row around noon because I spent so much of the morning reading, praying and writing in my journal. I guess this can't be a bad thing in the big scheme of things. I just share it with you so that you can see that I was slightly emotionally drained this week. The effects of this on our school week were, um, exactly what you can imagine. When mama is not feeling like herself, nothing seems to go so well.

I think there is a lot to be said about our attitudes as wives and mothers within our home. My husband comes home from work, and he doesn't want to see that I am frazzled, frustrated or at the end of my rope. My children don't want to hear me snapping at them for little infractions. Part of my job is to set the mood in my home, and I would have to say that I wasn't on top of my game this week.

There were two out-of-the-ordinary issues going on in my life this week. The first was a friendship issue with three of my dearest friends. They mean the world to me, but, this week, things have been strained. This is mostly because of me inappropriately addressing an issue that needed to be addressed better. Yeah. It stinks when things are your own fault, doesn't it? I think that is why it was weighing on me so heavily and why it still is weighing on me. Until everything is worked out completely, I will have to repeatedly remind myself to turn it over to the Lord. 

On top of this, my dad had a heart catheterization yesterday, and this is obviously a bigger deal than relationship issues. My brain kept trying to tell my heart that it was mostly a routine procedure these days, but my heart wasn't listening very well. On our way to leave our kids with friends for the day so that I could be at the hospital, we saw a bald eagle take flight from its perch on a branch in the river. I'm not big on looking for signs from God, and I am not someone who asks the Lord for signs as a habit, but I believe this was a sign from the Lord that I could trust Him with Dad on that day. He was going to be fine. The bald eagle is Dad's favorite bird. He has collected them for years. The bald eagle isn't a frequent sighting in this area  either. This was my gift from Jesus yesterday morning. My bigger gift? Dad was fine. The procedure went well. The results weren't perfect, but we got great news about his arteries and valves. He will need to do therapy to strengthen the actual heart muscle, but that sounds a lot better to me than open heart surgery, right? Hearing the doctor say, "He has the arteries of a 14 year old boy. You could drive a truck through them," was amazing (and sort of humorous, don't you think?). God is good, isn't He?

After spending the day at the hospital with Mom and Dad, we headed home around 6:00 and almost immediately came across an accident. We turned onto Maple Avenue in Zanesville, carefully drove around the accident and headed down the road toward home. As we came to a stoplight, I could hear the sirens of a fire truck coming toward us. I was stuck and not able to move the vehicle with cars in the right lane and the truck coming directly at me in my lane, and I was panicking a little. Or  a lot. I think both my parents knew this even though I was saying nothing because Dad told me from the back seat not to move while Mom was saying something about how many years it took her to stop panick in that situation. 

When I was 16, my grandmother and aunt were hit by a truck just like that one that was coming straight toward me yesterday. My college roommate was in an accident with a fire truck not long after we graduated. I don't recall ever having faced a firetruck head-on before yesterday, but it freaked me out more than I care to admit. I knew that they weren't going to hit me. I mean, I am a rational person. But I may not have been completely rational in that moment...all kinds of images flashed through my mind in those moments, and, once the truck was behind us, I was surprised to find a few tears sliding down my cheeks as my shoulders lowered from their tense location next to my ears and as I thought about my grandmother almost dying on that hospital bed. It's crazy how incidences like this one cause you to re-live moments like that with such powerful, overwhelming emotions.

We made it home. There were no more fire trucks. Mom and Dad got settled at their house. Eric and the kids picked me up and headed for home. We went to bed earlier on Friday night than we had any other night this past week. I slept late this morning, and I awoke feeling refreshed. Still, I'm struggling with this melancholy feeling that I can't shake today. I think that life just took it's toll on me this week, and I need a little extra refreshment which can only come from Jesus.

The thing about this overwhelming feeling that is bugging me a little is that so many good things happened this week. I think this goes to show that relationships are high on my priority list, and, when relationships are stressed by our human shortcomings or sickness or medical procedures, I need to try harder to keep my focus on the Lord. We can miss our blessings if we aren't looking for them. Even in the midst of blessings, we have to choose our focus. Sometimes, we have to work harder to choose that focus because Satan doesn't want us to choose joy. Sometimes, the melancholy tries to take over, and we have to be even more purposeful about choosing joy. Tonight, I am in that place, and I am seeking the Lord and choosing to walk in joy. There is so much to be glad about, isn't there? Have you seen Pollyanna? I love that movie. Like Pollyanna, choose to be glad about something tonight no matter how hard the world wants to crush your spirit. You can choose joy. I can choose joy. Join me? Let's choose joy together.

The Homeschool Mom's Journal

 

In my life this week...I'm learning humility.

In our homeschool this week...We're doing a study of pre-Civil War slavery in America including our Five in a Row book, Follow the Drinking Gourd, Ava will be learning her last set of subtraction facts, lots of writing activities are planned, and we've moved onto studying mammals in science.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...www.dltk-kids.com is a great website to find craft ideas for toddlers, pre-schoolers and elementary school students.

I am inspired by...scripture.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We're heading to Zanesville on Friday for a heart procedure my dad is having, and then we have a soup supper on Saturday with our Sunday School class.

One of my favorite things...Monday. It's the day that God reminds me how much I love what I get to do everyday.

What's working/not working for us...We've been trying to have two art lessons per week and two health lessons. This week, we're going for one of each.

Questions/thoughts I have....I've been seeing a lot of bright red lips this fall. I'm talking, 1950s red. Is that the new thing? I think I might want some bright red lips (sometimes my thoughts and questions are deep, and sometimes, they just aren't). ;)

Things I'm working on...pausing, loving, submitting.

I'm cooking...whole wheat pizza to order. Barbecue chicken for the grown-ups, pepperoni for Lukas and mushroom for Ava.

I'm grateful for...forgiveness, mercy, grace.

I'm praying for...financial and job situations.

A quote to share..."It is easier to build stronger children than to repair broken men." Frederick Douglass

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