Thirty & learning

Sometimes I think God takes pleasure in using the little things in this world to teach the big things.  Often I sit back and laugh (or cry) at those teaching moments. Like this one...

My son just told me..."Mom, I think the older I get the bigger Jesus gets in my heart." He told me this after he said that he was tempted to do something he shouldn't do and he walked away.  It has taken me 30 years to realize the sooner I listen to that Still Small Voice the clearer it becomes. And yet that  same Voice that speaks to my 2nd born, speaks to me. What a great God who upholds and speaks!
The words I penned the other day are ringing more true...as I teach them - and at times teach seems like a strong word -  HE is teaching me through them.  I don't mean the subjects teaching, but the daily teaching. The daily grind, the moments as they swiftly pass by and hopefully I caught it long enough to use it - that teaching.
God's ways are so much better than mine.

Spring Reign

Disappointments will come and go like a spring rain.
They will happen and at times I wish I had a fair warning so as to not be so surprised by them.
People will disappoint, circumstances will disappoint, weather and food will disappoint.  I will disappoint my husband and kids and they will me - I think this is the hardest to swallow or the hardest to know how to work through.
I get quiet with words, but my head and heart are loud inside. If you were in me you would see an ebb and flow, back and forth - words everywhere - coming and going. Trying to figure the best way to speak and  yet no words come, still.   I have always been this way but then sometimes it bubbles over and IT gets loud and the words just flow and yet those are the times, as fast as that river flows out,  I wish I could pull it all back in - usually too late.

 I am learning when to just be still.  And I am learning that maybe, just maybe - those times of disappointment  are God's way of saying "be filled with me alone.  I am  the ONE who will not disappoint ... no matter how many times you do Me." He is the one who can fill my rivers of words with kindness and truth and help me stem the tides that flow uncontrolled.  HE is the one who can teach me what I, every day, tell my kids, "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all".  I get so frustrated at times that I am a record playing over and over saying this same tune and then God, in His gentle way reminds me, HE is that same record playing over and over to me too. I can teach my kids and then God teaches me through them. So humbling. I can learn much from them - their forgiveness is sweet and doesn't remember.

So I am learning to pursue HIM first every day.
I am learning He doesn't disappoint, ever. He has a plan for everything and will work it for good in HIS time and HIS way and it's okay if I don't see that good yet and probably won't.  It forces me to keep my face in HIS and not move - be still my soul.

As I am learning, I am hoping that record player won't have to always play over and over - rather that His voice would become stronger because I know how to listen better. Oh what a feat!
May HE reign in my life so I can then teach these little ones.

field trip : sticky syrup

One (of the many) things I LOVE about homeschooling is field trips. We went to the Sugar Grove in Central IL. a couple of weeks ago for the Maple Syrup Tapping field trip and it was amazing. We went with a bunch of our friends from the Classical Conversations family we are a part of.  The kids LOVED it ...despite the cold and wet....did I mention cold???

One of the most amazing parts for me though is seeing that the kids remember, truly remember parts of what they heard. Bobo came up to me last week saying he found a tree that was cut down that was 18 years old. I asked him how he knew and he said, I counted the rings to the heart of the tree. SO, I went out to check and sure enough he was right. 

I just feel blessed!

The 3 oldest ones left the field trip happy, filled with joy after seeing friends and sticky from syrup. 

doesn't this just look so inviting! If it had been warm - I would have sat there forever!

What I love is leaving feeling refreshed for another day, challenged to meet with my Creator in everything and living the Normal realizing that is where the blessings lie.