This is the week we go back to school. While I love being at home with no schedule, I secretly love the "going back to school" process. I love school supplies. Some of my favorite memories as a child are going shopping for "back to school" stuff! I adore them. Which probably explains my fettish for pens and notebooks, and I won't get started on my addiction to Post-It notes. I love the smell of sharpened pencils and the feel of a new notebook before all the wrinkles and dog-eared pages occur. The newness and anticipation of a new year puts a new spring in my step. Every year at this time we get a "do-over". The places where we failed or didn't do our best gets a chance to do it over again. So we make new promises and adjustments praying that we will have the stamina to bring them to pass. It's a new start.
This year I am asking the Lord to "teach me". I did a word search for the phrase and found a plethora of new inspiration. Maybe not new, it just stood out to me more. Psalm 119 says:
12 LORD, may You be praised;teach me Your statutes.
33 Teach me, LORD, the meaning of Your statutes,and I will always keep them.
64 LORD, the earth is filled with Your faithful love; teach me Your statutes.
66 Teach me good judgment and discernment, for I rely on Your commands.
68 You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.
108 LORD, please accept my willing offerings of praise, and teach me Your judgments.
>124 Deal with Your servant based on Your faithful love; teach me Your statutes.
171 My lips pour out praise, for You teach me Your statutes.
I'm asking God to teach me this year. Teach me what I need to see, what I need to hear and specifically what He wants me to do about it. I am the student in a classroom that is never-ending. My Teacher is God Almighty Himself and I am sitting with pen poised in hand waiting to take notes and put into action what I learn. It has been said that "School is a building that has four walls---- with tomorrow inside." Those "tomorrows" that sit in the classroom with me have an eternity. So I need to be a teachable teacher that has learned to trust God--the Master Teacher.
This year when my one of mine asked if we could go "back to school" shopping, I said "Yes!" So with a gleam in my eye, feet to the floor and a spring in my step, we headed out. And I loved every minute
Treasures
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
God Speaks---Did We Hear?
The month of July in this household has flown by in a blur! We spent the first part of the month in Virginia on a youth mission trip. We made the plans, and God changed them all. In the end, it was fruitful. Perhaps we were there for this specific time period for God to show us that when it comes down to it, He is still in control and we are to simply follow. Sometimes that is easier said than done. God requires that we listen to Him, immerse ourselves in His Word and do what we read. Wouldn't we all be in a better place if we simply followed directions? I know I would. So in this trip I have learned, or been reminded that there are many people in this civilized country that still know very little about our Father. Even living within 30 minutes of the most powerful government in the world, they still struggle with Who God is. I learned that it is uncomfortable to stay in a building without any air-conditioning.....but it IS possible. I learned that listening is still a powerful drug. People want to be heard and you can't listen if you are talking all the time. I was reminded that little things mean a lot....just a smile or a kind word makes all the difference. Most of all, I was reminded of the power of the Gospel, in my own life as a believer and in the lives of those who don't know the awesomeness of our God.
Maybe the purpose of this trip was not only for the unbelieving, but for those believers who want to make a difference and God had to remove them from their normalcy to speak in a loud voice. I hope we heard.
Maybe the purpose of this trip was not only for the unbelieving, but for those believers who want to make a difference and God had to remove them from their normalcy to speak in a loud voice. I hope we heard.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Organizer, the Coach and the Sgt.
There are three people in this world that complete us as a family. They, unlike any others can cause us to laugh, cry and lose control at any given moment. We cheer for their accomplishments and cry with them when necessary. Since they have all flown the proverbial coop, the times we are together are guarded from intrusions. We stay up late, we get up early...we eat when its not time and we find ourselves spent from the exertion of loving each other. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
Each of these three bring their own personality to the nest:
The Organizer is a list maker. She makes sure we have a plan (not unlike her father) and that we stick to it. Some of us would rather fly by the seat of our pants, but not her. She makes it easy for us to move as a group and get things done. We can always count on her to make our path easy. She's the planner. She has a giving heart. That's why she is such a good wife and mother. She's my favorite.
The Coach, more than any of us, likes things in order and everything done well. He is a perfectionist and extremely neat. He always thinks ahead and knows where he is going and where he wants to land. He has a tremendous sense of integrity and honor. He is the kind that will succeed in what he does, because he allows God to take control. And he's funny! He's my favorite.
The Sgt. is and always has been his own person. In many ways, he is like the others. He likes to have fun. He likes to spend time with certain people. He is a thinker and sometimes a brooder. He thinks logically most of the time. But there are times he thinks only with his heart. He's very low key and slow moving, doens't really like to have a plan and loves every minute of it. That's probably why he is successful in what he does (not that we really know what he does). He's my favorite.
As of today they have all left us. And they took the grandchildren,too!! I knew when we gave these people back to the Lord that this day would eventually come. I just didn't think it would come so soon. Thirty years wasn't that long ago was it? But when I look at their accomplishments, their goals and dreams I am thrilled that they have the courage and drive to pursue what God has for them and to go after it with no regrets. After all, don't we raise them to leave at some point? Don't we want them to be passionately involved in something that drives them?
The answer is yes. This isn't the first time we have come back to just two in this house. It just never gets easy seeing them go. In reality, it's not so hard to be sad and happy at the same time. We love them so!
PS: Don't forget: "Home is where your mother is"
Each of these three bring their own personality to the nest:
The Organizer is a list maker. She makes sure we have a plan (not unlike her father) and that we stick to it. Some of us would rather fly by the seat of our pants, but not her. She makes it easy for us to move as a group and get things done. We can always count on her to make our path easy. She's the planner. She has a giving heart. That's why she is such a good wife and mother. She's my favorite.
The Coach, more than any of us, likes things in order and everything done well. He is a perfectionist and extremely neat. He always thinks ahead and knows where he is going and where he wants to land. He has a tremendous sense of integrity and honor. He is the kind that will succeed in what he does, because he allows God to take control. And he's funny! He's my favorite.
The Sgt. is and always has been his own person. In many ways, he is like the others. He likes to have fun. He likes to spend time with certain people. He is a thinker and sometimes a brooder. He thinks logically most of the time. But there are times he thinks only with his heart. He's very low key and slow moving, doens't really like to have a plan and loves every minute of it. That's probably why he is successful in what he does (not that we really know what he does). He's my favorite.
As of today they have all left us. And they took the grandchildren,too!! I knew when we gave these people back to the Lord that this day would eventually come. I just didn't think it would come so soon. Thirty years wasn't that long ago was it? But when I look at their accomplishments, their goals and dreams I am thrilled that they have the courage and drive to pursue what God has for them and to go after it with no regrets. After all, don't we raise them to leave at some point? Don't we want them to be passionately involved in something that drives them?
The answer is yes. This isn't the first time we have come back to just two in this house. It just never gets easy seeing them go. In reality, it's not so hard to be sad and happy at the same time. We love them so!
PS: Don't forget: "Home is where your mother is"
Monday, August 1, 2011
Games, Ice Cream and 4 New Moons...
When the first Treasure arrived in late 2001, who knew what a stirring it would cause in our lives. Our hearts took another plunge and we were forever bonded with this new little bundle. Since then, the other three arrived with such pulling of the heart-strings that no one could ever predict.
Spending these last three weeks with them have been very special. They live so far away from us---thank you very much---that any time we get with them becomes all encompassing. They are always growing and changing and everything they do makes me laugh....maybe not everything, but most things. They say the funniest things in their simple explanations of ideas. They make funny faces and their body language when they are aggravated tells its own story.
They make me thankful. They remind me how to have fun. They aren't perfect, but they are correctable. I like looking at them. When I see them, they are such extensions of their parents that sometimes it's scary. They are very excited about things happening in their family and their hearts are happy.
For the last three weeks we have been swimming, traveled on the bus home, eaten snacks late at night, stayed up till way past the bed time, walked the National Mall, rode trolleys, had pedicures and manicures (some of us), played with guns bought by the soldier, won swords at the Fun Factory, played multiple rounds of Go Fish, and had lots of ice cream and milkshakes. It's been a great time with them. Most of all, the good night hugs and kisses---priceless.
I hope we are always able to enjoy the simple things like seeing a grasshopper and looking at it in awe. As much as I love these treasures and look at them in wonder, I think when God looks at us He sees the potential He created us with and laughs with the wonder of His design. He's the perfect Father....I just want to be an obedient daughter.
And one more thing...teaching them the value of "the moon"---another treasured memory.
Spending these last three weeks with them have been very special. They live so far away from us---thank you very much---that any time we get with them becomes all encompassing. They are always growing and changing and everything they do makes me laugh....maybe not everything, but most things. They say the funniest things in their simple explanations of ideas. They make funny faces and their body language when they are aggravated tells its own story.
They make me thankful. They remind me how to have fun. They aren't perfect, but they are correctable. I like looking at them. When I see them, they are such extensions of their parents that sometimes it's scary. They are very excited about things happening in their family and their hearts are happy.
For the last three weeks we have been swimming, traveled on the bus home, eaten snacks late at night, stayed up till way past the bed time, walked the National Mall, rode trolleys, had pedicures and manicures (some of us), played with guns bought by the soldier, won swords at the Fun Factory, played multiple rounds of Go Fish, and had lots of ice cream and milkshakes. It's been a great time with them. Most of all, the good night hugs and kisses---priceless.
I hope we are always able to enjoy the simple things like seeing a grasshopper and looking at it in awe. As much as I love these treasures and look at them in wonder, I think when God looks at us He sees the potential He created us with and laughs with the wonder of His design. He's the perfect Father....I just want to be an obedient daughter.
And one more thing...teaching them the value of "the moon"---another treasured memory.
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