Where is your focus?

We ended our first week of school for the year, and though it went fairly well, I suddenly felt very overwhelmed with the year before us. I glanced up at a note above my computer...

"As the new school year begins, let us fix our eyes on Jesus."

Yes. My focus. There it is. My hope for the year.

By His grace, we can take another step forward.

And another.

One at a time...one day, one hour, one step, one moment...always keeping focus on Him, our Rock, our strength.

Mama's Hands

This is a repost that I originally posted on homeschool blogger back in November 2005.

The older I get the more I see the beauty of Mama's hands.

Through a child's eyes, I saw them busy working: folding laundry, making beds, scrubbing the bathroom, dusting, preparing meals, doing dishes after every meal, ironing, sewing on a button, planting and reaping in the garden, canning, more cleaning.

I saw them sharing: offering a handshake, taking meals to others, typing a book for a friend, checking the pantry to see what we could give to those less fortunate than us, putting money in the offering plate.

I saw them making things: crafts with her friends and with the girls' group at church, painting a complete nativity set, sewing curtains, blankets, pillows, later a wedding veil.

I saw them tender: a loving touch, a back rub, wiping tears at weddings, wiping tears watching a movie, bandaging a scrape, brushing hair, caring for my grandmother and my aunt, holding hands with my father.

I saw them chastise in love. I saw them clapping in delight. I saw them holding books: studying God's word, reading to us at night. I saw them folded in prayer.

Today I see them still doing so many things. I see them now when I look down at my own. When did I get Mama's hands? How will my children remember mine?

It is Well

Time keeps slipping past here. School is drawing to a close for the year (yay!), and summer busyness is approaching. Miss Daisy found this Josh Wilson version of "It is Well with My Soul." Music speaks to us around here, and we love Josh's guitar style, so I hope you enjoy it, too!

Part the Waters, Lord

Every year.

Every day.

Every hour.

Every minute.

Every moment.

How easy it is to forget that all of our strength comes from You, Lord.

You are the Rock we cling to. Our very life...each breath we take belongs to You.

We need you. Part the waters, Lord



When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea
When I cry for help, oh, hear me, Lord and hold out Your hand
Touch my life
Still the raging storm in me

Selah

May is here!

I've been busy purging and decluttering finding things for a garage sale. A friend called asking if I'd like to add some things to her sale, and it was just the motivation I needed.

I've always felt that God wants our homes to be ordered and reflect Him and not the chaos that we sometimes allow to come in, so it's been nice to bring some peace to our home by reducing piles and things of the world. The process never seems to end, but I feel myself relax as order is restored.

I've started a new Beth Moore study on Daniel. Instead of working through it on my own like I did with Esther, my mom, sister, cousin, and Miss Daisy are joining me. We did Session 2 today.

Piles

You didn't think I'd do it, huh? I'm one of those odd people who files AND piles, so I'm not sure what the experts do with that. I'll be the first to admit that some of my filing is actually just vertical piling, but let's not go there.

I had a friend in college who had this spot on the floor of her room affectionately called "The Pile." That was the first place to look for something missing...or even just something. Ah, the memories. So, not to let go of that, I've continued the tradition in my own home.

Most of my piles are revolving piles. The most visible pile really just depends on where you are standing at any given time. There is the kitchen counter/desk pile (very small after yesterday's sorting), the schoolwork to grade pile that often camouflage's my paper project pile (it's actually smaller than usual, too), the list pile (see previous post), the cookbooks to go through pile, the books to read pile, the pile of things for Mr. Tech to go through, and I think it's safe to say that Miss Rose has several piles of who knows what in her room. Laundry piles could count since they are definitely revolving, but they are contained and maintained.

My veritcal piles er..files are a topic for another post...another decade...

Now I've got the purging bug again. I might have to continue to post about my eye sores, because they are always better in a day or two afterward. Hmmm...in that case, the next topic is The Rose Room...enter if you dare!

Lists

I'm thinking I need a list to keep track of my lists. There's the daily list, the long term project list, the school books list, the kids' chore list (not sure where that is currently), the blessings lists, the prayer request list, the music list, practice lists, the grocery list, recipes to try and so on. I even have a "things that come to me when I should be sleeping" list beside my bed. Then there are those lists that get everything crossed off except one or two items, and then I have to decide whether to keep the list or find another list to put it on.

Tune in later for a post on Piles. Did I mention I have a small pile of lists on my desk?

Life Givers

Each time I've sat down to blog, I've had a more humorous post in mind, but it hasn't seemed to fit my day yet. The Lord has been showing me His Grace through other beautiful women serving Him, and so the lighter will wait for another day.

I've been reading "The Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and was most recently touched by the thought that in giving thanks for our blessings we can then turn and bless others. We are blessed so that we can bless.

Have you ever noticed how when you really need to hear something that God shows you again in a different way? The last two days found me at our local homeschool conference, and I was blessed to sit in on Lisa Wilson's class called "Life Giving Women." My notes don't do the talk justice, but I could see the Lord weaving the threads together to help me see more clearly His plan for me, so here are some highlights.

Life Givers are GOOD: Right, beautiful, fine, and excellent.

They are BOTHERSOME. They go to God and pour out their needs and never cease asking. They ask Godly women around them to help them and sit at their feet and listen.

They are HUMBLE. Self-condemnation can be an idol. "Don't rehearse perfection as if it were redemption."

Life-Givers take Minutes and sculpt them into Moments. They create Atmospheres and Moments.

They seek ways to BLESS OTHERS.

They NOTICE others and their needs, which is even more important than praise. They LISTEN.

They SEE THE BEST. They know how to receive imperfect gifts. "A critic is one who leaves no one unstoned."

Joy blocks out worry and fear! (on the neurological level! You can't be joyful and worry at the same time!)

Life-givers believe the TRUTH not lies. They focus on the Goodness of God. If He has called you, He has equipped you!

"Taking thoughts captive is not a gentle business." -Elisabeth Elliot

Life-givers cover the sins of others with GENTLENESS. "A woman loses her power when she loses her gentleness." Gentle moments are marked as most percious.

********
Recognizing our blessings....Giving thanks...Blessing others...Giving Life...Being light in a dark world. Calming the storms around us by grounding ourselves FIRM and DEEP in the Saviour's love, word, and power. He is our SUSTAINER, the ultimate Life Giver who gave His life for us--YOU and ME!

Words of Grace

Miss Rose has been studying Jesus, the Word and that words are so important that God himself came as the Word to show us the way. Here is her verse for today:

[Eph 4:29] Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Our evil tongues are tempted daily to utter words that tear each other down, but we can choose for them to bless others. Grace from our mouths to edify others. Words spoken in kindness heal, soothe, nurture, BLESS.

Spring is here!

This morning Miss Rose commented that she loves the smell of morning. We were on our way to an appointment and had the windows down. I couldn't help but think of the old Sandi Patty song, "Was it a morning like this?" Beautiful, perfect mornings remind me of Christ's glorious resurrection. I just have to think that it was a sunny, clear day with birds chattering, the perfect temperature, and the smell of spring in the air. If you've never heard the song, here it is...

Yikes!

I'm behind again. In short we've been...

going to camps
planning school
making messes
starting some school
rehearsing for a show
preparing for a music camp
making messes
planning a mini-getaway
painting a cabinet (finally)
putting on the show (this week!)
making messes
scrapbooking
reading
playing music
making messes

questionable activities:
gardening (aka weeding 101)
organizing
cleaning
decluttering (HA!)

looking for:
live-in maid
live-in cook
live-in handyman
(all volunteers, of course)
bon-bons (no nuts)
light at the end of the tunnel (no trains, please)
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (in case I can't find any volunteers)
silver lining (this one is promising)

And truly, we have been praying for all of our family, friends, and friends of friends. There are so many needs right now, but some we pray for just because!

Love to all.

I'd be dearly amiss...

if I didn't share Ivory's latest adventure. We finally got around to cleaning out her cage, and we put her in her ball which has a slight crack in it. I asked Mr. Al if we should duct tape her in, and he reminded me that she doesn't run in her ball like hamsters do, so we left her unattended and went about our business and checked on her as we went back and forth...ball still in the same spot. She was chewing on her treat and scratching every now and then.

I noticed Miss Daisy in the room, and Ivory's ball was open, and I asked her if she had Ivory, and she said no. Apparently, Ivory scratched her way out and was nowhere to be seen. We started to look, and then stopped and decided we should pray, and so we did. Mr. Al and I started to look in his room under the bed, and Miss Daisy went to her room and not 30 seconds later, she hollered, "here she is!" Ivory decided to take a trip next door and was under the doll house. A quick word of thanks, and Ivory was placed back in her freshly cleaned cage. Whew!

Here's a pic of the dynamic duo in their old cage before A Rodent's Tale and A Rodent's Tale part two.

Back by Popular (?) Demand

Top Ten Ways to tell that school is almost out:

10) Several subjects are completed, leaving only the ones that were put off and nobody really likes.

9) Mom ignores the excess reading and piano playing in place of schoolwork (not entirely)

8) Mom is thinking about how much more time we'll have to clean and declutter and has a plan in place!

7) Summer schedule is picking up, so busyness just shifts directions.

6) It's stinkin' hot outside!

5) Everyone is counting down the hours (although it's really about finishing the curriculum. hahahahaha).

4) Next year's schedule is nearly figured out (except for what isn't).

3) Mom is anxious to completely clear off the shelves and get rid of some school books to make room for the new (a daunting, emotional task).

2) First camp is in a month!

And the number one reason...(drumroll, please)

1) Did I mention new books?

Too funny!

I guess I'm not very original, because I was going to do a Top 10 ways you can tell school is almost over and realized that I did that last year. Ha! Most of the things are the same, too, only we don't have any tadpoles dying on the counter...only flowers we started from seed that didn't do so well.

Guess I should do a garden update. The things we started from seed indoors didn't do so hot. I think our pepper plants survived, but the tomato plants didn't get hardened enough and have bit the dust. Broccoli was frail to start with. The other things that we started from seed outside are doing ok. Need to check on things tomorrow and see how they held up after all of the rain this week.

Since I stole my own thunder, I guess I'll close this out and just say SIX MORE SCHOOL DAYS (provided they stay on task...they better!)! Then comes all the fun of cleaning out and finishing planning for next year and doing some deep cleaning in the house.

A Mighty Fortress

It's fort building week here. Half of the schoolroom is covered in couch cushions, blankets, and pillows, and a remodeling is currently taking place. A fort has generally been thought to be a place of refuge or safety...or if you are a 6 year old, it can become a place to hide all of your favorite things to protect them from siblings. I could hardly think about a fort without thinking of this hymn:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

fortress: any place of exceptional security; stronghold
bulwark: any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt

It's an amazing image really...a mighty God who wants to shelter us as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings...and never fails!

Coming up for air

Highlights of the past two weeks:

12 pepper plants growing
11 piles of paper
10 books a reading
9 loads of laundry
8 minutes of sanity
7 ballet lessons
6 bills awaiting
Walked a 5K
4 rehearsals
3 concerts
2 many things
and a family to love and enjoy.

So many blessing through all these different things. Thank you, Lord!

Praying for you KayPea! Hope you're feeling better!

Light

Since that last post was so deep, I'll leave you with these lighter thoughts.

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own. ~Ben Sweetland

Moonlight is sculpture. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor. ~Irish Proverb

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Friday Rhyming Blues

Here I sit.
Here I Stare.
Shall I flit?
Add some flair?
How 'bout wit?
Who, What, Where?
Shall I quit?
Do I dare?

Sit, flit, wit, quit.
Stare, flair, Where, dare.

Bit, knit, chit.
Bare, mare, hair.

Git, kit.
Chair, lair.

It.
Care.

Gardening 101

Spring is here, and with that comes another year of attempting to grow food for ourselves. We've gotten pretty good at feeding the local four-footed population which includes squirrels, possums, raccoons, rabbits, and probably some deer. I think they probably put a radar out announcing that we're trying it again. Somehow they managed to stay away from our tomatoes, broccoli, and asparagus last year, but they trampled the pitiful row of corn we planted.

Miss Daisy has taken over the garden plans this year. She's color-coded an entire plan on graph paper, the ground has been tilled, seeds bought, some planted indoors, and some planted outdoors. It's a small little plot, so we are trying a mix of wide rows, climbing things, square foot gardening, and (hopefully) a raised strawberry bed.

We still have other gardeny chores that need attending like cutting out the small maple tree that "we can get rid of later." It's providing a bit too much shade ten years later. *smile* Let's see...set up the poles for the pole beans, build a trellis for the climbing cucumbers, build the raised bed. Mr. Tech has decided he will write a follow up to the Joy of Gardening. Perhaps you can imagine the title.

So why perservere? We happen to think gardening skills are rather important to learn. You just never know when we all might be hunters and gatherers again, although we have no desire to pick up the hunting skills at this point in time. Even our fishing pole (note the singular) is in questionable condition. Perhaps we can work on that this summer, too. Or perhaps we can trade for our fabulous vegetables. Perhaps this year we won't have any baby squirrels trapped in the netting over the tomatoes (with an imaginary caption that said "Busted."). I suppose we should have had squirrel stew, but we freed him instead.

Until next time...

Chaos Leads Us To Toiling, Escaping Rest

Three Rules of Work:
Out of clutter find simplicity;
From discord find harmony;
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
-Albert Einstein

Are you having trouble finding that place of quiet rest? I recently read a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss by that title, and was enlightened by her scriptural insights and how important it is to have that daily devotions.

Do you ever find your mind wandering to other things though and can't seem to focus on what is most important? I do. Too many times. Where does your mind wander? For me, it is often to incompleted tasks, things to do, places to go, and could I have done that better or made a better decision?

I have found that clutter robs us of joy and rest. I still fight this almost daily, and decided to bring in some more help in the form of Emilie Barnes. She has many books on the topic of decluttering your Home and your Life. I found several at the library (and don't everyone go out and request them right away, because I might need to renew them. haha). I'm finding many little treasures in her little book entitled, "101 Ways to Clean Out the Clutter," and I will follow it with "The Quick-Fix Home Organizer: Making Your Home Beautiful and Your Life Clutter Free." Sounds peaceful doesn't it?

Imagine a time when you have simplified your life and your belongings so much that you don't feel guilty (or maybe I'm the only one) cozying up in a chair with your Bible, devotional, or just resting and praying. Oh, I have a long way to go, but don't you think it would be worth it?

So far I have a box ready for City Missions, I've sent a few inches of paper and magazines to the trash or recycling, I have another bagful of linens I'm no longer using ready for the Handmaidens garage sale, and I have a milk crate half full of homeschooling items to take and share with some moms at church.

What are you doing to declutter your life and home?