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March 28 Summer plans even though the snow still flies.Well, we have a spring project for the family! I have been searching for awhile to find just the right motorhome. One that's good. And one that's cheap. Not an easy task. The good thing is that because gas prices are the way that they are, people are trying to unload their gas-guzzlers. That made it a little easier for us.
So I found a great little motorhome. It's a class C, so I'm not scared to drive it. It looks newer than it really is from the outside. On the inside, it's a trip back to the 70's! Green, shag carpet..all of the original cushions and curtains. Fortunately, that's all stuff that I think we can tackle before it's time to head out on our first camping trip. I'm going to replace all of the cushions, I can sew all that stuff myself. Make curtains and install blinds. It has dark wood paneling that I'm going to paint over to freshen things up and make it a little lighter. We are going to rip out all of the shag carpeting and either replace it with something else or put down vinyl flooring or wood laminate. It will be an extreme motorhome makeover for very little money.
The nice thing about this motorhome is that it is mechanically sound. Chris is going to do some tune-up stuff and the guys at the shop have been helping him out with that. They have been ripping out some wood and yucky insulation from the big bed area and replacing it. By the time I get my hands on this thing, I'll get to start in on the cosmetic stuff.
The kids are so excited because since we sold our Suburban and our camp trailer, we have gone a few years without camping at all and we all have really missed it. We've done some different kinds of vacations. We took the kids to Disneyland. That was a blast. We stayed at the beach a few times. That was great, too. But a hotel vacation is very different from a motorhome vacation. I miss the smell of the campfires. Pulling over to the side of the road and cooking lunch or dinner...flying by the seat of our pants...just hittin' the road!
We are also very blessed to live where we live. We can hit the road for a long trip if we want to (or if we can afford the gas!) but we can also drive 15 minutes and feel like we are a world away. There is lots of great camping just down the road from us. Jenny starts softball practice soon and I think I'll drive her over to the field in the motorhome. It will give me some driving practice and it will be fun to hang out in the motorhome and put on some coffee. It's always so cold during those first practices of the season! Maybe the other moms will want to join me for cup..
March 26 American Idol and Jason CastroOkay, I have been an American Idol fan since season 2 and I've made no secret about it. Maybe it's because I'm a music teacher and I know what elements I expect to see in a top notch performance, but this year, it seems like there just hasn't been very many "Wow" performances. There have been performances in the past that have given me goosebumps, they were so good!
This year, I think that I have two favorites. I really enjoy Jason Castro. He has a wonderful laid back personality and vocal quality. I would go out and buy his music right now. Plus, there is just something very positive about him. I just think he's cute. Then I stumbled across this great video of him:
If he's a believer as it would seem that he is.. then I knew that there was something special about him!
My other favorite is David Cook. What a risk taker! I have really enjoyed his performances. I think that he could go all the way to the finale.
Now at the time that I am writing this, the results show has already aired for this week. I'm getting ready to kick back and watch it. I hope that my two favorites made the cut!
March 15 Big, no, HUGE changes for our family!I have written recently about the struggles that I have been experiencing in the whole homeschool arena that is my life. This year has really not been working very well in so many areas. Part of it is just me. I've been having to work though some things in my personal life that has nothing to do with the kids. And then there are the kids. Going through some things of their own as they are growing up and wanting to spread their wings a little. Perfectly natural process. Just learning how to get through it without killing each other!
 But here's the deal. This is what I've been weighing back and forth all year long. The way that I see it, this part of my life can go one of two ways.One, God is just working on my family and allowing things to come into our lives that will shape us and mold us to be a little bit more like Him. He is teaching us patience, how to deal with hurt and failure. And He is teaching us how to forgive one another. That all sounds good. I can see God's hand in all of those areas and I'm confident that He's doing all of those things.
Two, God has allowed me to become restless and unsettled in my daily life because He is preparing me for change. He's preparing me to deal with change in my children as they grow and long for more independence. And He's providing me with the opportunity to use me in other areas or to pursue some of the dreams that He's laid on my heart for years.
Maybe it's a little of both of those options. Maybe I don't have to be so black and white about it. But here's how it has unfolded in the lives of my family and how it related to homeschool:
I have absolutely loved homeschooling my children. James is in 7th grade and Jennifer is in 5th. I believe that Chris and I have given them a solid foundation. They know who their parents are. They know what their parents believe. They know that they are loved. They know God loves them more than we ever could and they are seeking to know God more. They are beginning to see who they are, and they have had the gift of enjoying their childhoods without so much of the pressure of growing up too fast like so many of the children that go to public schools. And by watching their mom and dad, they have seen what it's like to live in freedom. Freedom in Christ. Freedom to not have to do things exactly the way everyone else does. Freedom to take a stand on the important things.
That being said, this past school year has not been enjoyable. James has been difficult. He has turned what used to be routine into a daily power struggle and because I have had my own struggles to deal with, I have not been nearly as smart and as in control as I used to be and have unwittingly allowed myself to walk right into the little traps he has so expertly laid out for me. He's not being wicked. He's just seen the chink in my armor and taken his moment. I haven't realized that I've been sucked in until I've found myself making desicions out of anger and then spending the rest of my time with James either fighting with him or hiding from him. When did I ever become a coward or so distracted with other things?! All of this wouldn't be so frustrating if I didn't know how smart and talented James is. It kills me to see him not living to his potential.
Then there's Jenny. She is just as smart and talented as her brother, but demands a much faster pace in life. She needs it and thrives on a challenge. I have been so overwhelmed in dealing with her brother that I'm afraid that she has been bored this year. I know that because in her boredom, she tries to take over where she thinks her mother isn't doing her job. She tries to micromanage the family and it leaves me wondering if that's how she sees my role in the family- as the micromanager or taskmaster. That concerns me more than just a little.
Chris has been coaching wrestling and that has been wonderful for both he and James. It has boosted James' confidence level by leaps and bounds and he has had a much easier time socially with the other boys because of it. We had been intending to enroll the kids in school for next fall, but based on what we've been dealing with at home and the window that wrestling has provided, we decided last week to enroll the kids now. It will be a whole year before wrestling comes around again and we think that James should get in while the gettin's good.
I know that some people may think that this is a strange time of year to put the kids in school, but we have thought long and hard about it. James needs to mature in organization, responsiblity and independence. He has everything in him to succeed, but if he fails at it, he can only dig himself a hole so deep between now and the end of the school year. That will give us time to address things before he starts fresh next fall. And poor Jenny just needs to not be bored anymore.
I've only had ONE DAY with both kids at school and already people are planning my new life out for me. Customers come into our shop and they've heard that the kids are going back to school and they are shocked to not see me standing behind the counter in the waiting room. What? She's not homeschooling? She's not working?? Well, what's she gonna do? Good grief! That is the million dollar question, isn't it? And I'm not going to answer that right now! I'm going to take my time figuring that out and really seeking the Lord in it. I've been so completely focused on homeschooling for NINE YEARS that I deserve more than one day to catch my breath. Besides, just because I am not my children's schoolteacher now, doesn't mean that I am not their mother. They still need me and that comes first.
So...some mighty big changes around here. I am excited for my children. They are going to a great, little school. I already know many of the staff there and I think that the principal has done some great things for the school since he's been there. I'm excited for myself, too. I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for this next season in my life. March 09 Led worship with the Women's Worship Team today and have some thoughts to share about it.
This Sunday, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I have always led worship from the piano, but from a sitting position and tucked in the back more so that if I did it right, the congregation might not even realize who was actually leading. In theory, I still kind of like that idea; of being almost invisible and just worshiping. But I have spent quite some time worshiping from out in the congregation lately and it has lent me a new perspective. So coupled with the challenge that we recieved during our worship team retreat to worship with joy and boldness and some things that I believe that the Lord has pointed out to me during Sunday worship, I decided to try some new things with the Women's Worship Team. I took a look at what I see is the role of those of us who are in the worship ministry. It is not about performance, although I want to bring nothing but my best to offer up to God. Bad musicianship is not freedom in worship, most of the time, it is a distraction. Leading worship is also not about false humility. My desire to be more invisible in the leadership role was more out of a self-focus on my part. The idea that the whole congregation would be focused on me instead of their worship of God is actually egotistical instead of being humble. As the Lord brought those things to my heart, I started thinking of the term leader. Whether you are talking about one person, or each individual that makes up the team, you are talking about someone who gathers people together and takes them somewhere. It would be really difficult to lead a group of people and take them on a journey if my goal was to be completely invisible. From the congregation, there's an element of confusion when you don't know who you're supposed to be following. I started giggling when I thought of other ministries that I have served in and how impossible it would have been to lead them without making it clear who was leading. I could not be a Sunday School teacher and do it behind some sort of privacy screen. Whether it was the jr. high girls, or my preschool class, they need to know who the leader is within the first 5 seconds or you have already lost them! I could not facilitate a Bible study without making myself visible to some degree. To me, the common thread is connection. I need to connect with people to lead them. As a worship leader, my job is to lead people out of all of the distractions from their everyday lives and remind them that at any moment, they can put those things down and realize that they are in the presence of the Almighty. Really, I am nothing more than a hostess, holding open the door as worshipers enter in. Kind of hard to do that and make a connection with people if I'm not visible at all. Leaving a "wall" between the worship team and those that we are to be leading is a cold and impersonal experience. I don't want it to be that way. So in order to bring these things about, it was time to get over myself, raise my piano up and start connecting with my church family as we worship together. This was my first shot at it. Sound quality was poor, but I think that as a team we are on the right track. Worship in true humility, joy and boldness! The first song that I posted is called "Do You Love The Lamb?" written by Aaron Heartenstein to compliment the ministry of some wonderful speakers that teach on the Old Testament and how it continually points to the coming Christ. Click over to and check it out. Definitely worth your time.
March 05 Looks like James is done wrestling for the season...James got some disappointing news today. He's been struggling for weeks with pain in his back and shoulder. He's been trying to take it easy and then every time he goes back out to wrestle, he ends up hurt again. I think that this happened when he landed hard on his shoulder and then another kid landed on top of him.
I took him to the doctor to get checked out today, just to be on the safe side. The doctor didn't feel the need to get any x-rays. I wanted to make sure that he didn't have a cracked rib or something that could have caused even more problems. He was confident that James has an injury to the muscle under the shoulder blade. He's not to wrestle for 2-3 weeks. That takes him out for the rest of the season. Poor kid. He was pretty bummed. He thought that the doctor would be able to fix him right up. It comes down to giving his body time to heal.
It could be so much worse, though. Last night, one of his team mates broke his arm badly and had to be taken out on a stretcher! Makes me wonder if these kids are old enough to be doing this...there have been many positive things, but it wasn't my kid being taken out on a stretcher, either. |
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