Noticing the Gifts:: First Day of Homeschooling

Sometimes I am so surprised by where God takes me.
I still can't get over that I am here in Minnesota, that I'm a wife and a mother, and that I have five kids!
I'm still amazed at how God carries me through and accomplishes things in my life that I can't imagine doing on my own.

I'm also often surprised by the beauty each day holds.  I'm so thankful for how the camera can capture that beauty and since I've been practicing taking pictures I seem to find beauty more and more.  I see "the most perfect picture" when my daughter runs up to the open doors of the ballet studio and squeals with delight.  I see how the light reflects off the water at the lake, I see the sun falling on the table...

I see the beauty in school supplies!

And it's not just beauty for beauty sake.  It is a reflection of our Heavenly Father's beauty.  It is His goodness and love and do you know what?  It is everywhere!

I'm so thankful that:
34. He is with me and taking me to new places every day.
35. He helps me to plan.

36. And clean.

37. and prettify.

38. and pre-test.

39. And just love schooling at home.

I love these pictures because they make school look so

peaceful

simple

and

CLEAN.

  My last post might have worried you a bit.  You might have thought that there was no way I was going to start school today.  YET, I was able to clean up (with God's help - seriously it was like someone else was cleaning for me!) and things were organized just in time.

oh, so that was number 40 up there:  He got me organized just in time.

So to be real let me just tell you that today was not perfect.  There was some yelling from mom, a crying three year old, a broken glass in the sink, a bathtub full of seashells, chocolate frosting all over the kitchen, and a lot of TV watching.

Yet, I'm thankful that:
41. Ben is learning to read.
42. My daughter is learning to cook.
43.  I am able to leave the house on short notice ALONE!

Remember that our God is good and that we are his beloved children.  We are His children!

And yes, I did say a bathtub full of seashells.

Filling my Heart

Today is "Multitudes on Mondays" over at Ann Voskamp's blog.  Today's post is particularly inspiring because really what good does it do for my children if I am thanking God and not sharing that with them.  Can you guess what we are going to start do tomorrow?

  

For too long I deep down secretly grumbled and complained that my life was too hard, I was too lonely, too tired, deprived of things I really loved.  I was starting to not believe that:

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:6

That verse once was very dear to me.  Maybe because I thought that everything was going my way.

But life isn't about things going my way.  God's way really is BEST!  It may not be the easiest or the most comfortable or the most glamorous but it is my Heavenly Father's way.  

In it I am not alone.  He is right there with me.  He strengthens me, helps me (How Firm a Foundation).  I really am upheld by his loving hand.  The waters have never overflowed, the flames have never hurt me, and I have never been deserted.  And I know that even if all hell should endeavor to shake me, (and boy I have never even been close to that) "in [His] presence there is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11)

So I am choosing to be Thankful.  Gratefulness really changes your perspective.  It helps you to see the truth.  I makes you among other things:  Sober.

The song "My heart is filled with Thankfulness" has been going through my head lately.  Especially these lines:

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who reigns above
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace
Whose every thought is love.

Every thought He has towards me IS love.  Thank you!

 

 

24.  New stairs and new paint! (I will share pictures soon)

25.  Spring has finally come!  Things really do grow in MN.

26. Crocus.  The feeling of Easter swept over me when I saw them.

27.  The Arboretum.

28. This girl.

29.  Those flowers that pop up in my yard every year.

30.  This growing boy.

31.  Medicine and how it heals.  (Don't worry, we also consumed LOTS of yogurt)

32.  Being able to go to ballet and the cheer I received when I walked in the door.  Thanks ladies!

And since I am having a hard time ending this post with a picture of Amoxicillin here is one more and another picture...

33.  I am rescued.

Giving thanks

Just popping in to give thanks for the many blessings!  Things don't always go as planned and one can get all hung up and cranky that one doesn't get one's way.

I'm choosing to see the good. So here we go:

14. Some serious outside time.

15. Snow that holds together! (usually too cold and the snow is powder-ish)

16. Shedding coats.

17.  The crab apple tree is still (mostly) standing. (hoping that it will still bloom)

18. The bright spring sun and how it reflects off the snow and shines in my house!

19.  Eager kitchen help.

20. Mister Rogers play clay.  I use the second recipe.

21. A van full of kids.

22. A friend willing to pick me up!

23. Sisters

I pray that you are looking on the "bright" side of things.

Loved

Everyone deals with pain in a different way.  As a little girl I remember my father brushing my hair.  I would scream out (believe me I was a drama queen.  I'm sure I screamed out more than I needed to - wonder where my girls get it from....) and my father would say, "That doesn't hurt!"  Other times when I would fall he would say, "That's ok, you are fine, get up, it doesn't hurt, come on."

That's me

And not only physical pain.  In my family we ignored the emotional pain too.  Stuff it down, don't cry, you are strong and if you ignore it long enough the pain will eventually subside and you can forget.

I've done that all my life.  And I've done that with God.

You see I've been doing so well lately.  I've been able to rest in my heavenly father's love.  I've been able to believe it, to know it, and to be free in it.

But

life has also been going fairly well.  Spring is finally here and the snow is melting.  The workload hasn't been that overwhelming.  I've had a little more fellowship.

And then

  I found out that my grandmother's health is failing.  We live so far apart and there is nothing I can do.

  This hurts.

How do I respond?  What is my reaction?

My first reaction: cry.  Wow!  This is good, I've so often in life just got distant and said, "That is sad." and went on with my life.  Crying is good!
But then I had to go on with my day.   I had meals to make and kids to take care of.  As the day went on and on I could feel my heart getting cold.

I put up my wall.  I protect myself.  I start to feel that God is not on my side.  He won't answer my prayers.  His thoughts toward me are indifferent.  He doesn't really care.

sunset taken by my daughter

A good friend asked me yesterday how she could pray for me.  After I told her she asked me what was I going to do.
 I told her I was going to repent.

God has not changed just because my grandmother is getting weak.  God did not stop caring for me.  He did not stop loving me as his precious daughter.  He did not stop answering my prayers!


I am still his child.  He is still my shelter.  He is still my heavenly father!
  I will choose to praise.  I will choose to hurt.  I will choose the truth.

Choosing to thank Him.

10. I have a shelter in Him
11.  In ministering to others I am encouaged
12.  Anne Steele
13. My Heavenly Father loves me.  He really does.

Blessings :: Ben

This is my guy.

He is a little man of many faces.

He just turned 5 this weekend.
He's growing and learning all too fast now.
The changes I've seen in him the past year are simply amazing.

Learning letters and numbers.  All his Classical Conversations memory work.
This boy even sings now, with words!
He's still shy but if you ask him to talk he will hold a conversation with you - a real one.

Ben is a blessing.  After having three girls the odds of having a boy where stacked against us.  We didn't feel our family was complete but after two miscarriages we weren't sure if God had any more children for us.  By God's grace he gave us another child and the boy we hoped for for many years.  (oh, and then right after that he gave us Bethany but that is another story)

So if you did your math you already know that we have five children.  I love them all so much and my life is a mix of joy and hardship. (boy would I say that I make most of my hardship!)  In all this I want to remember the multitudes of blessings, God's love and grace that He lavishes upon me, and I want that to scream out over all the negative thoughts that can run through my head each day. I'm starting my journey with Ann:



Thanking Him for:

1. my boy
2. a warm house (we are at zero degrees right now!)
3. a giving husband
4. soft yarn to knit
5. a Savior who never sleeps nor slumbers NOR tires of ME!