With Age Comes...

It is true you do not miss something until it is gone. I've determined that I should have had my children when I was younger. When I was younger, I thought I knew it all (not saying all younger people do...but I did). I thought I had it all together. As I've aged, I realize my intense need for older, wiser people. Not perfect people, but people who have been there and are on the other side of the chasm jumping up and down cheering me on saying "You can do it!!" Put one foot in front of the other...not a sprint, but a marathon, one bite at a time.

When I was younger I did not realize the gravity of things as I do now. Sometimes I miss the carefree attitude of youth, the endurance, the silliness, the time available to sit and have long, deep discussions. Taking time to dip your feet in cool water on a hot day, listen to truly listen without your mind racing to the next thing on the "to do" list. When I was younger, I thought I had child training all figured out, even though I did not have children or they were mere infants. Oh how I have repented of the that. Life was a little easier....not better, but easier. But it is in the hard things that I must rely on His strength and not my own.

Lord you have entrusted me with treasures of eternal value...treasures I am unworthy of and most definitely lack the wisdom. Yet I don't. In Him, I have the wisdom I need. Lord fill me with wisdom. Fill me with Jesus. Fill me with the physical, emotional and spiritual strength to not just accomplish the task you have set before me, but to excel at it.

With age comes.....humility. A deeper trust. And joy knowing it is all in His hands and He is bigger than anything I have, am or will face!

Science Projects

This year I determined it would be good "experience" to particpate in the homeschool science fair. Being the idealistic mom that I am and desiring that in my quest to create this "love of learning" atmosphere, I had hoped Kyra would come up with a "question" she would like to know the answer to and then we would pursue the scientific method to discover the answer.

So when that didn't happen we did what all parents do, we turned to the Internet for ideas. I tried to find a subject she was interested in...so we determined to study the effects of drag on swimming. We checked out books, did online research and very quickly I found that "drag" can be a pretty high level physics concept .. aerodynamics, etc. So we worked to sort through the data and make it 4th grade level. So as the glue on the board was drying as we drove to the fair and I reflected on weeks of work that was like pulling teeth to get accomplished, I whispered "never again..until she is old enough to do independently." So we get there and she has to present her idea to the judges.

On the way home I hear, "Mom! I loved that!! Can we do more things like that?" to which David chimed in..."I want to do it next year too". Okay note to self. Begin at the beginning of the next school year. :-)

Spiritual Housecleaning

A few years ago we stumbled across a book that we could use for Advent reading called Jotham's Journey. It was great. Lots of adventure / excitement and devotional in nature. This year we found they have 2 new Advent books and one to read leading up to Easter. So we began that yesterday.

This time of year (although not as much this year b/c I do not have that maternal nesting going on) but I always have this "bug" or "itch" to spring clean. With the new year, wouldn't it be great to have a home that is cleaned from top to bottom. I will make a checklist to do bite sized projects since time limitations allow me to do only portions rather than one swooping project.

I will pursue this goal...yet what about a spiritual spring cleaning. Just like our homes, our spiritual lives get filled up with junk and cob webs. We become complacent and familiar and do not even notice it. We lose that fire and it happens so slowly that we wake up one day and realize something is missing.

So my spring cleaning list this year is a little different. Along with projects in the home, I am going to make a list of things that need cleaned up, renewed spiritually. I desire for my relationship with my Creator and Savior to be deep, overflowing, fulfilling, exciting and that requires work on my part. Just like any relationship, we must tend to them. So along with weeding my flower beds in preparation for beautiful spring flowers, I will be doing some spiritual "weeding" removing those sneaky things that have made themselves familiar in my life but are unwanted.

As a reminder: Please continue to pray for Rody's upcoming trip to Pakistan. The harvest is plentiful...