Ho Hum

I enjoy blog surfing. It's a hobby that I have only been doing for about a year now. At the advice of my best friend, who started blogging, I even started blogging, charting the adventures of our family. I always enjoy seeing what friends are up to, learning more about subjects in which I am interested, and looking back and seeing the memorial stones set up reminding me of what God has done in my life.

Reading bits and pieces of what is going on in the lives of my favorite bloggers keeps me in touch. It's definitely not my preferred way of communication. I am truly a phone call/visit type of gal - but honestly, life does not afford me the opportunity to sit down and chat or even visit often with my favorite bloggers since they have kidlets who are busy going here and there, my kidlets are growing and busy with activities, and too many physical miles lay between us for a "stop over and chat" opportunity.

I am blessed, though, to keep up with the "goings on" of sweet friends through email, blogging, and other electronic methods. It just can't be compared to a visit - to be in the presence of a kindred heart sharing precious moments and memories.

Heather - Know that you are missed. I read your blog this morning and just missed you lots.

My New Adventure

For the past few months I've been hinting toward a new journey in life. So as not to upset a certain someone, you know who you are - Mother - I kept it under wraps until the decision was firm. The Lord led us to homeschool my kiddos. A definite adventure to say the least. For a teacher you'd think that this would come easily. However, concerns mounted left and right. What curriculum do I use? How long should we have school? What will I do with Chops while I'm teaching Monkey? How are we going to do this financially?

Well, the first day of school has come and gone. School started Monday. Monkey seems to be loving it. I'm enjoying it too. For right now things have fallen into place. The curriculum I'm using now will probably not be the same next year, but for Kindergarten it's good enough until I'm more familiar with homeschooling curricula. Chops sits and colors and does school with his older brother. He wants to be involved. Monkey is eager to do his Bible learning, math, reading, and science. I have even been touched by the history lessons about the sacrifices of a missionary woman whose desire was to serve the Lord by serving others in China - a woman who heard the Lord in her heart urging her to do things that didn't seem doable to others.

Today, because of my new shopping hobby, (couponing) I had to go to the grocery store to take part in the double dollar coupon Wednesday at our local grocery store. (brief aside - bought $75 worth of groceries for $28.74 with tax - hooray!) I changed up our school schedule to take the kids to the store early, came home, made lunch, put Chops down for his nap and had school with Monkey. It worked beautifully! Flexibility! Learning! Real life lessons! I think I could get used to this new adventure!

Memory Verse & Wordless Wednesday

Psalm 139:17-18

How precious also are Your thoughts towards me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them.
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

Inbox

Every morning during the week I eagerly await to receive my devotion in my email inbox. I subscribe to Proverbs 31 Ministries' daily devotions during the week. God just blesses my socks off through the writings of these women. The devotions have really touched me since January and especially since the decision to stay at home took root later in the spring.

Below is a link to today's blog/devotion. I can only tell you that this devotion has my name written all over it. It is exactly where I am. Obedience. Enough said.

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/

Click the link and read away - I pray that it blesses your socks off too. Enjoy!

Wordless Thursday???

Okay - so I missed Wednesday... I could use the excuse that it's been a crazy week,
however, I don't see my life becoming less crazy. :)

So enjoy Wordless Thursday!

Gramma and the kids.

Priorities

So today my goal was to hit the floor running to check things off of my list. I planned to take the boys with me to do some homeschool supply shopping. Even when you're homeschooling you need things like pencils, paper, binders, erasers, and other schooly stuff. So our journey began to 2 drugstores and 2 office supply stores. We saved a bundle. I was so proud of how much money I saved. The boys did pretty well considering that we went to 4 stores in a little less than 1 1/2 hours.

Here is a picture of some of the things I bought. I LOVE a great bargain!

My other goal was to actually get ready and sit down to plan my curriculum. Being new to this homeschool thing I'm kind of nervous that it's this late in the game and I don't have my curriculum planned out yet. Thankfully, my monkey is really smart. This year will be a huge learning curve for both of us. I am blessed that he is not even in school yet, but is already reading. He enjoys reading (I think) and loves being read to. I have even caught him reading to his younger brother once or twice. Chops ate that right up.

So with no hard fast curriculum to stick to, I have yet to sit to write any plans. I envisioned getting started at least by next Monday, however, without plans - it's sort of hard to teach. I feel very discombobulated. Before, everything had a very defined start and stop date. My head is having a hard time wrapping itself around all of the choices. I still have to remember that this is Kindergarten. There is NO rule that says we can't change plans, join two different methods together, or ditch stuff that isn't working. That is one of the beauties of homeschooling. I just have to convince my brain that it's okay to do. (Amazing how habitual we humans are).

Back to the originial point - since I didn't have an opportunity to write lessons, my goal, while the boys were down for rest, was to clean one room of the house per day - because every mom knows that it is a lesson in futility to try to clean while everyone is awake and at home. It's like a chasing after the wind. I had even set up a plan to go by to keep me up to date on my chores. Today was to thoroughly attack the kitchen. Instead, I sat down at my computer and started blog hopping. Big mistake. It all started with my best friend's blog - I always check her's first. Then hopped to a blog she keeps up with, then another blog, and another. The next thing I realize, my 5 year old is finished with his rest. He just walked out the door of his room, and here I sit, typing about my adventures blog hopping with not one thing done to the kitchen. Oh well. Out comes the other one. I guess the kitchen will just have to wait until tomorrow. :)

Standing Your Ground

Ever wanted to quit something before it even started? Did you ever commit to something, but were ready to turn your tail and run because of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear? I am sitting in that spot right now. Every ounce of my being wants to return to what is comfortable; what is familiar. My head and heart are at odds with each other... the one saying, "It's okay to go back. Life is tough. God will understand. Nothing will happen. " The other pleads with it saying, "If you go back you'll never experience the huge blessings Your God has in store for you on this journey as a result of HIS faithfulness. You aren't showing that you REALLY trust HIM to do all that He has promised for you."

Which do I follow?

This type of thing has happened before, and unfortunately, I think I trusted my head, which caused me to trust in my own abilities and my own power resulting in not trusting God for provisions. What is up with that? It got me nowhere. I got scared, and instead of running to my FATHER, I ran to me, to what I thought was safety. I didn't grow the way I could have grown. Now growing is a little harder - because maybe I didn't get the lesson right the first time.

I was on facebook today, just browsing around to see what folks are up to. I came across the status of my friend's mom. All she had up was "And my God will supply all of your need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Phil 4: 19-20)." How right is that? Perfect! My God will supply all my need! Enough said!

Today's verse - Right on Time

It seems, now, that I am only posting during my memory verse times... summer has been so busy - so busy, in fact, that it is close to over. We are closer to the end than we are to the beginning... a definite sorrow fills my heart, as summer is my favorite season - just because I am (make that WAS) a teacher.

The verses this time around go so well together. They are what I truly need at this point as I have given up one road for another. The direction of the new road is not easily seen at this time. But, as our Bible Study teacher reminded us on Sunday... if you are going through a period where the turns on life's road are unable to be seen just trust that your Heavenly Father has wherever that road leads in the palm of HIS Hands. He is holding up that road and directing it. Sometimes that's a whole lot harder to live out. But in the times that I want to give up and go back to my comfortable life of trusting in my own strength and doing what I've done for the last ten years, I will stop and remember this:

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19

I will cry to God Most High,
To God who accomplishes all things for me.
Psalm 57:2