I have heard it said you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse. If that is true, I am in big trouble. It is not the odd little things that have been planted there by my children for me to hold “just for a sec”. I had odd stuff before that.
Regardless of how many children I have had, including the while I had no children of my own, I always had a few little toys,crayons and paper, and a weenie whistle. The whistle was for sentimental reasons. I have even had a rock in there, prechildren. It was a prayer rock for me to remember to pray for a good friend’s salvation. I still have it and am still praying for her. And always a broken pair of sunglasses. And a card with two penguins, one of whom has a fish eating his head. It says “Relax, God is in charge.”
Then come children. And now I have four card games, a seashell magnet shaped like a fish, two salt packets, broken pencils, a piece of bark that was chewed off a tree by a beaver, a pen that leaked, darts for a gun, an etch-a-sketch key chain with a key to nothing, a pile of receipts, shot record books, coins from a foreign county I have never been to, a few Legos, and a stick. That is in addition to my wallet, a hairbrush, lipstick, a lipstick tube form lipstick Isaac melted by placing it on the heater, nail polish, hair clips, a nail kit, tiny scissors, a tiny flashlight, a tiny screwdriver, reading glasses, broken sun glasses, non-broken sunglasses, a granola bar, two packs of crackers, baby wipes, a diaper, lotion, hand sanitizer, a bottle of water and a Ziploc baggie of pennies that says Isaac.
And I still have to say those are not the things that get me. Not at all. Because most of those can be expected from the bag I carry when I have the children I have. No, the part that bothers me is even worse. Since having my first child I have had the most disgusting things land in, drop in, flop in, drip in, and magically appear in my purse. I expect a certain amount of crumbs, especially with the crackers. But I have had an ice cream cone, milk, Pepsi, a sandwich, chewed up gum, and a dirty diaper. ( I had no where else to put that! Mall change rooms should always have a trash can. Always.) Live bugs, dead bugs, fake bugs, something slimy I never even asked what it was. Fish bait that got loose. A mushy brown banana. I hope it was a banana.
All I can think of is the episode of Mad About you when the flighty sister, Lisa, got her purse mixed up with Jamie. Lisa was all pulled together for the day because of the contents of Jamie’s purse. She was on time, functional and got a job. And Jamie’s life spiraled out of control because of the junk in her sister’s purse. She was late everywhere, lost everything, and was a wreck by the end of the day. It was like each woman’s personality was tied to the contents of her purse.
So if the contents of my purse tell you something about me, I am mushy, gushy, slimy, crumby, broken, odd, and smell slightly like bad milk. And there may also be a sign popping out that says “Stay Away!!”
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
On Books and procrastination...
I like books. A lot. Actually, I love books. I also love reading. I can read anything and enjoy it, including the dictionary and the information in the phone book. I read online. I read ebooks. I read magazines and newspapers and cereal boxes. I do a lot of different types of reading. I read for personal growth. I read for pleasure. I read for information. I read for education. I read for the enjoyment of losing myself in the written word. There are so many ways to do all of that reading, and the most convenient, the cheapest, and the easiest to access is on the Internet. I go to school on the Internet. I gather information for the kid’s schooling on the Internet. I can even read the newspaper, magazine articles, and books on the Internet. I love the ability to find my information quickly.
But there is just something about a book. The feel of the pages, the new book smell, the weight of it in my hands. I surround myself with literature on a variety of topics. When I research something in-depth, I love to surround myself with the books I need to reference. I could lose myself in a library. Not only are the characters in those stories good friends, the actual books themselves are as well. I can find the story, the idea, the thoughts I am looking for with a few flips of the pages.
Going to school online has many perks, but the biggest draw back is that my text books are online as well. Most I download a chapter at a time. I can not feel the pages, flip to information, highlight text, or experience that new book smell. I can only access them while I attend my college because they are password protected. And I can not find the information I need because I scroll through page after page without even knowing I turned the page. And of course there are some books I am glad to not have laying around the house after the class is over. I would probably toss my algebra text book out the window in a fit of joy if I had one. (One being a text book, not a fit of joy, which I did have at the end of Algebra.)
The pages of my favorite books are wearing thin. Without highlighting one can see my favorite portions of text from wear. This is true of my Bible, Lucado and Swindoll books, and also Dekker, Gansky, Peretti and many others. And so I am having a hard time in my classes online because I am having a hard time losing myself in the reading. Instead of researching the reasons behind the founding fathers establishment of a government with three branches and the impact of those three branches on the government of today I am writing a blog. Not even a good or interesting blog, but it is killing time. And now, back to my even more boring government paper…
But there is just something about a book. The feel of the pages, the new book smell, the weight of it in my hands. I surround myself with literature on a variety of topics. When I research something in-depth, I love to surround myself with the books I need to reference. I could lose myself in a library. Not only are the characters in those stories good friends, the actual books themselves are as well. I can find the story, the idea, the thoughts I am looking for with a few flips of the pages.
Going to school online has many perks, but the biggest draw back is that my text books are online as well. Most I download a chapter at a time. I can not feel the pages, flip to information, highlight text, or experience that new book smell. I can only access them while I attend my college because they are password protected. And I can not find the information I need because I scroll through page after page without even knowing I turned the page. And of course there are some books I am glad to not have laying around the house after the class is over. I would probably toss my algebra text book out the window in a fit of joy if I had one. (One being a text book, not a fit of joy, which I did have at the end of Algebra.)
The pages of my favorite books are wearing thin. Without highlighting one can see my favorite portions of text from wear. This is true of my Bible, Lucado and Swindoll books, and also Dekker, Gansky, Peretti and many others. And so I am having a hard time in my classes online because I am having a hard time losing myself in the reading. Instead of researching the reasons behind the founding fathers establishment of a government with three branches and the impact of those three branches on the government of today I am writing a blog. Not even a good or interesting blog, but it is killing time. And now, back to my even more boring government paper…
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010
As I sit here amidst the remnants of the party ushering in the new year I can not help but reflect upon the past year. If I had to sum up our year in one word, it would be the word “full.” Full of surprises, full of expectation, full of disappointment, full of joy. And most of all, full of God’s mercy and glory.
In January we celebrated David’s first birthday with a wonderful homemade set of cakes that the kids decorated to look like a snowman and a frozen pond. Andy put his schooling on hold while trying to test into a program at the college. As with all winters, there were very cold, snowy times when he was laid off, but he still was working when they could. Tony joined us on a field trip to the Science Center. We got lost in downtown Pittsburgh. It was a terrifying trip home, and I remain scarred to this day.
February brought some new changes. We took a trip to the Harrisburg/ Hershey area while Andy attended a conference to become a ride inspector. We got to visit Hershey, touring the Kiss Works, riding the Chocolate World ride, and enjoying the gift shop. We also got to tour the PA State House, visit a park, and see the PA State Museum. I parallel parked in downtown Harrisburg- twice. I did get a ticket, but that was for letting the meter expire, not my parking. We enjoyed time at the pool as well. We watched some of the Olympics and did a huge project for school on the Olympics, Canada, and chocolate.
In March I had the opportunity to go to a home school women’s retreat. It was wonderful, refreshing, and enlightening. All of those things I was soon to need to fall back on as we had David in the hospital. He had RSV, a rotavirus, and asthma attacks. We had him there for a few days, and all the kids were at home sick. While we were there Andy had to go to training for the program at the college. After a few rough days, and even rougher nights, the pneumonia that followed the RSV was under control and we came home. David has asthma that needs treated daily, but it may improve over time.
After that, April seemed so calm, even with school in full swing and Easter! A visit from the SC Raehls was wonderful and we spent our days chasing trains, playing, and squeezing in some bookwork. The weather was wonderful for playing outside, and we all enjoyed that. With the weather becoming more suitable for working outdoors Andy got more hours in at work.
The spring crept along as we headed into May. Angel had her first evaluation for school, and her first standardized testing. She scored above average across the board, which is even more incredible seeing as she is a grade ahead of her peers. We celebrated Mother’s Day as always, outdoors! Between wrapping up the school year and preparation for VBS, I was quite busy.
June was great! Great weather, great fun! Isaac and I got a chance to head out to Sandbox Camp together. We had a wonderful time at Camp Allegheny. It was an awesome start to our summer. We did have to miss out on a vacation I really wanted to take, but Andy was busy with his full time job, Firefly, and ride set ups. We began our Bible Club again at the Spangler UMC, and we had good attendance from the first week. I began writing out my curriculum in ebook format. I am a Currclick publisher, with only one title, but still, my mom is not the only one who bought one.
The final step in the testing and training for the program Andy was trying to get into was in July. I am so proud of how well he did, but because training was so long and he was planning on going back to school, he lost his job. We were not expecting or prepared for that. He tried to work more on Firefly and having more shows, and he got a few. We missed going to Idlewild this year as Angel was not dancing there. We went camping instead, and this time Mom, Dad, Josh, Tony, Scott, Theresa, Will, Rachel, Luke, Bella, Andy, Angel, Faith, Isaac, David, Mariah and I were all there. As you can imagine, it was a unique wonderful sort of chaos! We had a great time swimming, playing outside, and just being together. After we got the kids past the no electronics rule. We had a fun time at the Demi family reunion. Faith turned 8, and I can not believe it! I began back to school in July as well at an online college. At the end of the month Angel and Faith went to Camp Allegheny as well.
August started well with VBS. We learned about Joseph and Egypt. It was an awesome event. I was energized and renewed by the children that week, as well as the teachers and helpers. Following VBS, we also wrapped up Bible Club. It had been a busy summer of Tuesdays, and we had many children at least once. We are still praying that those seeds planted with come to fruition. We took a family trip to Lakemont. David and Isaac rode the kiddie rides, Angel, Faith and Isaac drug us on some of the bigger rides, and we all enjoyed the water park. At the end of the month we started back to school, at least the “book work” part, seeing how we had been to some great field trips. Andy and I got to go out to celebrate 12 great years of marriage. Somewhere in there Andy got a job, and then lost that job.
September was a special time because we had a wonderful Chordas family reunion. I got to see relatives that I had not seen for quite a while, and meet some relatives I had never seen before. We stayed over at my parents old house in a big sleepover for Labor Day Weekend. We celebrated several birthdays- Isaac, Andy and I all have September birthdays. We began to get back into the groove of school but hit some sicknesses. Faith and David had pneumonia and bronchitis. We battled a stomach virus. Andy had been working on Firefly, but with no savings to fall back on he needed to go back to work in construction. We are praying that changes so he can entertain full time.
The days grew longer and the weekends were filled with soccer in October. I love the fall, but felt a twinge of sadness this year. We ushered in the previous fall at the beach. The kids were now back to puppets, soccer, dance, etc. We had busy days of school, busy nights, and busy weekends. We enjoyed the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, and Halloween. Angel had a Death By Chocolate birthday party, after which she did not ask for chocolate for about two minutes. Tops. Andy had been off, so we began to tear up the carpeting in our house. Project completion estimation: approximately never.
By November I had to make the decision to schedule testing for Faith. We had been struggling for quite a while. I made the first appointment for a referral, and then we headed into Thanksgiving. My mom hosted this year, which gave me more time to plot our Black Friday plan of attack. With our crew prepped and ready, I headed to my house to nap before heading out that night. Tony, Jess, Theresa and I shopped. Josh guided us from home, amazing me with his directions, which prompted me to ask him if he placed a tracker on our van. We began the long process of preparing for Christmas that weekend.
December began with snow. And more snow. Then we had Faith’s evaluation. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. Big words that feel like daggers to a mothers heart that tell us we need to make some changes before heading back to school. We took a school break early for Christmas as we reevaluate our teaching time. And I muddled trough Algebra rounding out my first very full semester with a 4.0. David’s asthma has been acting up so we have to give him breathing treatments three times a day. Christmas was wonderful, with me getting my dream gift of a Keurig. And a Wii, for the kids, at least that’s what I told them.
Somewhere in there was the car dying, Andy getting laid off (but not fired) currently, and us struggling financially and getting to see God provide in awesome and dramatic ways. I had to learn in a very real way that perfection is not something I can achieve this side of heaven. And more important than knowing that, I had to realize that is okay. Daily I have been learning more of God, needing Him more, trusting Him more. I had a very hard time dealing with David’s asthma, Faith’s diagnosis and the loss of the schooling opportunity for Andy. Allowing God control of my life can look vastly different from what I expect of my life, and yet it is more beautiful, more wonderful, and more full than I could ever imagine.
In January we celebrated David’s first birthday with a wonderful homemade set of cakes that the kids decorated to look like a snowman and a frozen pond. Andy put his schooling on hold while trying to test into a program at the college. As with all winters, there were very cold, snowy times when he was laid off, but he still was working when they could. Tony joined us on a field trip to the Science Center. We got lost in downtown Pittsburgh. It was a terrifying trip home, and I remain scarred to this day.
February brought some new changes. We took a trip to the Harrisburg/ Hershey area while Andy attended a conference to become a ride inspector. We got to visit Hershey, touring the Kiss Works, riding the Chocolate World ride, and enjoying the gift shop. We also got to tour the PA State House, visit a park, and see the PA State Museum. I parallel parked in downtown Harrisburg- twice. I did get a ticket, but that was for letting the meter expire, not my parking. We enjoyed time at the pool as well. We watched some of the Olympics and did a huge project for school on the Olympics, Canada, and chocolate.
In March I had the opportunity to go to a home school women’s retreat. It was wonderful, refreshing, and enlightening. All of those things I was soon to need to fall back on as we had David in the hospital. He had RSV, a rotavirus, and asthma attacks. We had him there for a few days, and all the kids were at home sick. While we were there Andy had to go to training for the program at the college. After a few rough days, and even rougher nights, the pneumonia that followed the RSV was under control and we came home. David has asthma that needs treated daily, but it may improve over time.
After that, April seemed so calm, even with school in full swing and Easter! A visit from the SC Raehls was wonderful and we spent our days chasing trains, playing, and squeezing in some bookwork. The weather was wonderful for playing outside, and we all enjoyed that. With the weather becoming more suitable for working outdoors Andy got more hours in at work.
The spring crept along as we headed into May. Angel had her first evaluation for school, and her first standardized testing. She scored above average across the board, which is even more incredible seeing as she is a grade ahead of her peers. We celebrated Mother’s Day as always, outdoors! Between wrapping up the school year and preparation for VBS, I was quite busy.
June was great! Great weather, great fun! Isaac and I got a chance to head out to Sandbox Camp together. We had a wonderful time at Camp Allegheny. It was an awesome start to our summer. We did have to miss out on a vacation I really wanted to take, but Andy was busy with his full time job, Firefly, and ride set ups. We began our Bible Club again at the Spangler UMC, and we had good attendance from the first week. I began writing out my curriculum in ebook format. I am a Currclick publisher, with only one title, but still, my mom is not the only one who bought one.
The final step in the testing and training for the program Andy was trying to get into was in July. I am so proud of how well he did, but because training was so long and he was planning on going back to school, he lost his job. We were not expecting or prepared for that. He tried to work more on Firefly and having more shows, and he got a few. We missed going to Idlewild this year as Angel was not dancing there. We went camping instead, and this time Mom, Dad, Josh, Tony, Scott, Theresa, Will, Rachel, Luke, Bella, Andy, Angel, Faith, Isaac, David, Mariah and I were all there. As you can imagine, it was a unique wonderful sort of chaos! We had a great time swimming, playing outside, and just being together. After we got the kids past the no electronics rule. We had a fun time at the Demi family reunion. Faith turned 8, and I can not believe it! I began back to school in July as well at an online college. At the end of the month Angel and Faith went to Camp Allegheny as well.
August started well with VBS. We learned about Joseph and Egypt. It was an awesome event. I was energized and renewed by the children that week, as well as the teachers and helpers. Following VBS, we also wrapped up Bible Club. It had been a busy summer of Tuesdays, and we had many children at least once. We are still praying that those seeds planted with come to fruition. We took a family trip to Lakemont. David and Isaac rode the kiddie rides, Angel, Faith and Isaac drug us on some of the bigger rides, and we all enjoyed the water park. At the end of the month we started back to school, at least the “book work” part, seeing how we had been to some great field trips. Andy and I got to go out to celebrate 12 great years of marriage. Somewhere in there Andy got a job, and then lost that job.
September was a special time because we had a wonderful Chordas family reunion. I got to see relatives that I had not seen for quite a while, and meet some relatives I had never seen before. We stayed over at my parents old house in a big sleepover for Labor Day Weekend. We celebrated several birthdays- Isaac, Andy and I all have September birthdays. We began to get back into the groove of school but hit some sicknesses. Faith and David had pneumonia and bronchitis. We battled a stomach virus. Andy had been working on Firefly, but with no savings to fall back on he needed to go back to work in construction. We are praying that changes so he can entertain full time.
The days grew longer and the weekends were filled with soccer in October. I love the fall, but felt a twinge of sadness this year. We ushered in the previous fall at the beach. The kids were now back to puppets, soccer, dance, etc. We had busy days of school, busy nights, and busy weekends. We enjoyed the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, and Halloween. Angel had a Death By Chocolate birthday party, after which she did not ask for chocolate for about two minutes. Tops. Andy had been off, so we began to tear up the carpeting in our house. Project completion estimation: approximately never.
By November I had to make the decision to schedule testing for Faith. We had been struggling for quite a while. I made the first appointment for a referral, and then we headed into Thanksgiving. My mom hosted this year, which gave me more time to plot our Black Friday plan of attack. With our crew prepped and ready, I headed to my house to nap before heading out that night. Tony, Jess, Theresa and I shopped. Josh guided us from home, amazing me with his directions, which prompted me to ask him if he placed a tracker on our van. We began the long process of preparing for Christmas that weekend.
December began with snow. And more snow. Then we had Faith’s evaluation. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. Big words that feel like daggers to a mothers heart that tell us we need to make some changes before heading back to school. We took a school break early for Christmas as we reevaluate our teaching time. And I muddled trough Algebra rounding out my first very full semester with a 4.0. David’s asthma has been acting up so we have to give him breathing treatments three times a day. Christmas was wonderful, with me getting my dream gift of a Keurig. And a Wii, for the kids, at least that’s what I told them.
Somewhere in there was the car dying, Andy getting laid off (but not fired) currently, and us struggling financially and getting to see God provide in awesome and dramatic ways. I had to learn in a very real way that perfection is not something I can achieve this side of heaven. And more important than knowing that, I had to realize that is okay. Daily I have been learning more of God, needing Him more, trusting Him more. I had a very hard time dealing with David’s asthma, Faith’s diagnosis and the loss of the schooling opportunity for Andy. Allowing God control of my life can look vastly different from what I expect of my life, and yet it is more beautiful, more wonderful, and more full than I could ever imagine.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Blame It on the Parents
All of these years we have had the same, shall we say, interesting situations occur in and around our home, and other places we frequent. I have been thinking that these oddities are a side effect of our homeschooling adventure. In the past few months I am beginning to question this hypothesis. I now think I should blame the parents in this particular household. Not to point any fingers, but I am leaning to the male parental unit as the instigator in many cases.
For your reading pleasure, here are the top oddities that are NOT the result of homeschooling, but of parenting. You may feel free to infer which are my husband and which are myself. I am hoping at least one is very easy to decipher. Sadly, it is not #9.
14. When looking for my son we look on the ceiling.
13. We have all gone in public in costume. Not at Halloween.
12. We all have a written list of our superpowers.
11. At the first snowfall the children built a ziggurat instead of a snowman. They used empty containers ranging in size between a trash can and a bowl, which has never returned.
10. At a Christmas party my eldest daughter organized the children into a circle for circle time. Then had a game for them to play. She did not have a craft prepared, but she later said she thought of one after time to open presents but no one was interested.
9. My toddler sings his name. And whatever he happens to be doing. For instance: "David. Farting. DAV-ID. is FART-ING. DAVIDISFARTING!!!!!" Repeatedly.
8. When told we were going to have a healthy snack my children all said: "Alright! Ice Cream!!!"
7. When in public my children line up and follow me like little ducks. With quacking included.
6. There was a fake mustache stuck to the steering wheel of my van for weeks. It relocated to the dashboard, then disappeared.
5. We have at least 6 rubber chickens in a variety of sizes. They have names. And only one is a performing chicken.
4. The mustache was later found frozen to the driveway.
3. Science is everywhere, from the grass growing in the bathroom sink to the mushrooms growing in the basement. However, I can not grow a houseplant on purpose to save my life.
2. My family frequently bursts into song and dance. Even in public.
1. For Christmas my daughter asked for a dragon and a Barbie. She got both, and an attack bat, which is her favorite.
***Some say ODD, but I like to say FUN!!***
For your reading pleasure, here are the top oddities that are NOT the result of homeschooling, but of parenting. You may feel free to infer which are my husband and which are myself. I am hoping at least one is very easy to decipher. Sadly, it is not #9.
14. When looking for my son we look on the ceiling.
13. We have all gone in public in costume. Not at Halloween.
12. We all have a written list of our superpowers.
11. At the first snowfall the children built a ziggurat instead of a snowman. They used empty containers ranging in size between a trash can and a bowl, which has never returned.
10. At a Christmas party my eldest daughter organized the children into a circle for circle time. Then had a game for them to play. She did not have a craft prepared, but she later said she thought of one after time to open presents but no one was interested.
9. My toddler sings his name. And whatever he happens to be doing. For instance: "David. Farting. DAV-ID. is FART-ING. DAVIDISFARTING!!!!!" Repeatedly.
8. When told we were going to have a healthy snack my children all said: "Alright! Ice Cream!!!"
7. When in public my children line up and follow me like little ducks. With quacking included.
6. There was a fake mustache stuck to the steering wheel of my van for weeks. It relocated to the dashboard, then disappeared.
5. We have at least 6 rubber chickens in a variety of sizes. They have names. And only one is a performing chicken.
4. The mustache was later found frozen to the driveway.
3. Science is everywhere, from the grass growing in the bathroom sink to the mushrooms growing in the basement. However, I can not grow a houseplant on purpose to save my life.
2. My family frequently bursts into song and dance. Even in public.
1. For Christmas my daughter asked for a dragon and a Barbie. She got both, and an attack bat, which is her favorite.
***Some say ODD, but I like to say FUN!!***
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Leaving a Legacy
Perhaps it has been all the reading I have been doing lately, some on art history, some for fun. I have been thinking about leaving a legacy. Obviously, if you are named in a book on history, or have a chapter all to your self, there is a legacy that is well marked that you have left behind. Perhaps you developed a cure for a serious illness. Or carried the Gospel to a foreign land. Or maybe changed the way the world thinks about something through your discovery or led thousands to Christ. There may be millions of people whose lives you changed for eternity or whose lives now take on a better quality from your work.
More likely than not, you are none of those things. You are an ordinary person with ordinary dreams and and ordinary life. I know I am. I used to think that I could change the world, but had to come to grips with the reality that I will never discover a cure for cancer, preach to a filled stadium, or sing on stage. I will never be a professional athlete, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the President of the Untied States, or the dictator of a foreign country. I will never climb Mount Everest, swim the English Channel, or fly a plane. I will never be able to time travel, unlock the mysteries of space, or compose a great symphony. I am ok with all of that, well, perhaps I still will fantasize about the whole dictator thing, but I am happy where I am. I never really liked sports anyway, and am not very good at math. So, where does that leave me? I will never be mentioned in a history book. I am not a household name. I have no great riches, no superpowers, no earthshaking developments in science.
So often we hear inspirational stories, stories of people who are famous, who left a great impact on society or those around them. I would like to share a story of my own someday, but it is still being written. You see, my legacy has not been determined by anything I have done, but by something done for me. I cannot boast great power, prestige, or fame, but I belong to One who can. My legacy, what I hope to leave my children and the people around me has no monetary value, it is a legacy of faith. The time spend in ministering to others in the name of Christ, not my own. The bedtime prayers, morning devotions, and memory verses. The silliness at Bible Club, wiping noses in the nursery, talking to youth. My legacy will not lie in the lives of millions, but in the hearts of my children. I can think of no greater legacy.
And perhaps someday, one of them will do something greater than I. Or perhaps they will touch the lives of those around them on a small scale. And ripple by ripple the effect of one heart set afire for God will change the world.
More likely than not, you are none of those things. You are an ordinary person with ordinary dreams and and ordinary life. I know I am. I used to think that I could change the world, but had to come to grips with the reality that I will never discover a cure for cancer, preach to a filled stadium, or sing on stage. I will never be a professional athlete, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the President of the Untied States, or the dictator of a foreign country. I will never climb Mount Everest, swim the English Channel, or fly a plane. I will never be able to time travel, unlock the mysteries of space, or compose a great symphony. I am ok with all of that, well, perhaps I still will fantasize about the whole dictator thing, but I am happy where I am. I never really liked sports anyway, and am not very good at math. So, where does that leave me? I will never be mentioned in a history book. I am not a household name. I have no great riches, no superpowers, no earthshaking developments in science.
So often we hear inspirational stories, stories of people who are famous, who left a great impact on society or those around them. I would like to share a story of my own someday, but it is still being written. You see, my legacy has not been determined by anything I have done, but by something done for me. I cannot boast great power, prestige, or fame, but I belong to One who can. My legacy, what I hope to leave my children and the people around me has no monetary value, it is a legacy of faith. The time spend in ministering to others in the name of Christ, not my own. The bedtime prayers, morning devotions, and memory verses. The silliness at Bible Club, wiping noses in the nursery, talking to youth. My legacy will not lie in the lives of millions, but in the hearts of my children. I can think of no greater legacy.
And perhaps someday, one of them will do something greater than I. Or perhaps they will touch the lives of those around them on a small scale. And ripple by ripple the effect of one heart set afire for God will change the world.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
CurrClick, Here I Come!
Finally it is official! I am a publisher on Currclick.com, with a whopping one title to my name- Firefly Publishing. And I even sold one- to my mother. LOL
This has been something I have thought about for a while and never have felt prepared enough, good enough, ready enough, brave enough to do. Thanks to a hard push from Andy and a few good friends, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see what they thought of me at Currclick to begin. In all honesty, I was amazed that I was welcomed aboard. I am not sure why, because if I thought it was good enough for my own children, someone else had to think the same.
And now, as I try to do school for myself and with the kids, I will try to continue to write more. I have lots of ideas, stuff already partially written, scraps of paper, and co-ops I had planned on turning into lapbooks or unit studies. Somewhere. I am excited thinking about all the possibilities.
Next up- a unit study on the Fruit of the Spirit. Which I have as a VBS, but it needs some work to switch over to a unit study. And needs retyped because it is on a floppy disc. Which might mean I am old. My first work is on one of those huge floppy discs. And there are some that were only on a word processor in the pre-computer time. Which does mean I am old. Or at least I lag behind technology a bit. Yeah, let’s go with that one!!
This has been something I have thought about for a while and never have felt prepared enough, good enough, ready enough, brave enough to do. Thanks to a hard push from Andy and a few good friends, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see what they thought of me at Currclick to begin. In all honesty, I was amazed that I was welcomed aboard. I am not sure why, because if I thought it was good enough for my own children, someone else had to think the same.
And now, as I try to do school for myself and with the kids, I will try to continue to write more. I have lots of ideas, stuff already partially written, scraps of paper, and co-ops I had planned on turning into lapbooks or unit studies. Somewhere. I am excited thinking about all the possibilities.
Next up- a unit study on the Fruit of the Spirit. Which I have as a VBS, but it needs some work to switch over to a unit study. And needs retyped because it is on a floppy disc. Which might mean I am old. My first work is on one of those huge floppy discs. And there are some that were only on a word processor in the pre-computer time. Which does mean I am old. Or at least I lag behind technology a bit. Yeah, let’s go with that one!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Train up a chil in the way he should go...
…and it will take every ounce of your strength. That is how that phrase should read. Never having been to an actual war, I can only imagine, but it seems to me there are some deep comparisons there. Daily skirmishes. Bone wary struggles. Blood, sweat and tears. Post traumatic stress. Financial drain. Lack of sleep. And the lack of ability to tell while in the trenches if you are winning.
Take last night for example. Faith and Isaac wanted to watch a movie in Isaac’s room. (Yes, there are TVs in the bedrooms. Don’t judge me. It affords me 15 minutes of peace and quiet every other Tuesday or so. It is worth it.) I said sure. They are not allowed to take up food or drinks. They are not allowed to jump on the bed. And lacking the foresight, I neglected to make a rule about taking all of the clothes out of the dresser and tossing them about the room all willy -nilly. And there was not a rule about taking apart lamps. Now there is. I went up to put David to bed and found bowls, every stitch of Isaac’s clothing, cups, DVDs, sheets, and stuffed animals all over the place. There was a lamp shade hanging from the fan blade. Which apparently took three tries. The mattress was off the bed in one direction, and the boards holding it up were knocked out of place. I called for them to come clean it up, and Andy brought them up. He took one look around, kicked the stuff out of the way and took the bed apart. He put the box springs and mattress on the floor. This might upset some people, but not Isaac. Now he just can fall right into bed. And we won’t know if he jumps on it. Totally missed the point.
This was only one of our skirmishes yesterday. And I can never tell if they are “getting it” on a daily basis. However, something must be sinking in because everyday Faith and Isaac (in our home the Faith and Isaac phenomenon has begun to be called Fisaac for short) dump out every single Lego- I estimate there are now 3,834 due to a rare moment of vacuuming rage during which I vacuumed one up- all over the dining room table and floor. And everyday they are surprised that they have to clean them up. Not today. For on this lovely morning, when they came down to play,and as Isaac was about to dump them out Faith shouted “Remember yesterday!!!” and they dug through for the ones they wanted instead. I have no idea what yesterday had to do with Lego clean up. I have only said not to dump them all out or they will have to clean it up for the past 932 yesterdays. One of those must have sunk in. I hope. Tomorrow is another day.
And with a not quite two year old, I estimate there are only about 7,305 tomorrows of this, if I accurately counted leap years, before the Lego’s can be sold on eBay, or even better, be packed up and given to Faith or Isaac’s children. And then I can sit here, sipping hot coffee, cause I hear that’s how it tastes best, and read Facebook messages and blogs from them and their spouses about Lego’s, lampshades and other trauma. And then I will know I have won, even if it is a last man standing type of victory. And I hear that the revenge, I mean, grandchildren are rather wonderful.
Take last night for example. Faith and Isaac wanted to watch a movie in Isaac’s room. (Yes, there are TVs in the bedrooms. Don’t judge me. It affords me 15 minutes of peace and quiet every other Tuesday or so. It is worth it.) I said sure. They are not allowed to take up food or drinks. They are not allowed to jump on the bed. And lacking the foresight, I neglected to make a rule about taking all of the clothes out of the dresser and tossing them about the room all willy -nilly. And there was not a rule about taking apart lamps. Now there is. I went up to put David to bed and found bowls, every stitch of Isaac’s clothing, cups, DVDs, sheets, and stuffed animals all over the place. There was a lamp shade hanging from the fan blade. Which apparently took three tries. The mattress was off the bed in one direction, and the boards holding it up were knocked out of place. I called for them to come clean it up, and Andy brought them up. He took one look around, kicked the stuff out of the way and took the bed apart. He put the box springs and mattress on the floor. This might upset some people, but not Isaac. Now he just can fall right into bed. And we won’t know if he jumps on it. Totally missed the point.
This was only one of our skirmishes yesterday. And I can never tell if they are “getting it” on a daily basis. However, something must be sinking in because everyday Faith and Isaac (in our home the Faith and Isaac phenomenon has begun to be called Fisaac for short) dump out every single Lego- I estimate there are now 3,834 due to a rare moment of vacuuming rage during which I vacuumed one up- all over the dining room table and floor. And everyday they are surprised that they have to clean them up. Not today. For on this lovely morning, when they came down to play,and as Isaac was about to dump them out Faith shouted “Remember yesterday!!!” and they dug through for the ones they wanted instead. I have no idea what yesterday had to do with Lego clean up. I have only said not to dump them all out or they will have to clean it up for the past 932 yesterdays. One of those must have sunk in. I hope. Tomorrow is another day.
And with a not quite two year old, I estimate there are only about 7,305 tomorrows of this, if I accurately counted leap years, before the Lego’s can be sold on eBay, or even better, be packed up and given to Faith or Isaac’s children. And then I can sit here, sipping hot coffee, cause I hear that’s how it tastes best, and read Facebook messages and blogs from them and their spouses about Lego’s, lampshades and other trauma. And then I will know I have won, even if it is a last man standing type of victory. And I hear that the revenge, I mean, grandchildren are rather wonderful.
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