Today I've been cleaning our school room and getting ready for, well, school of course. :o) I'm happy to report that it is a steady process. I have yet to be too distracted, aside from this post of course. K-Love is on and I'm worshiping my Lord as I go about my business. The songs are inspiring me to keep my focus on Him and that is where I need to be.

What are you doing today?
What is your favorite online station?
Leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Finding My Mojo

I posted a few days ago but not having any mojo to start school. I'm happy to report that my mojo is s-l-o-w-l-y coming back. First off the month of August was not a good month for me. It was filled with lots of changes, memories, and distractions. I think my feet are back on some what solid ground and I'm ready to move forward. Here are some things I have done to help with the progression.

* Downloaded the free version of homechool tracker. I normally use a teachers lesson planner that I buy at Staple's, but since money is tight I'm going with free instead. I spent yesterday, Tuesday, getting it set up and entered everything for one of my 'students' for the first two weeks of school.

* Pulled out all the curriculum that we have. I need to buy a few more items, but honestly the more I pull out the more I see its not all that much.

* Started working on getting the school room back in order. Always a process, but at least I'm working on it.

* Got our starting date, vacations, and ending date already set up.

* Trying something new this year. We normally school at home, but this year I'm making a list of places that we can take our 'school' to. Every Friday, at least while the weather in nice we will be heading to different parks in our area. We live surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest, so there is quite a few to choose from. When the weather gets colder, I'm looking into different libraries in the surrounding towns. Not sure how that will work, but at least going to try it out.

* Making a "supplies needed list" for school. I think having the kids get excited about picking the 'perfect notebook' and other trinkets will help spur us all on.

That's how I'm finding my mojo. Hopefully I'll keep going in the right direction and maybe I'll be on a roll in no time. :o) If not, then I'll keep pressing on till I find it. ;o)

What Happens When Mom Doesn't Want to Start School?

I remember as a kid not wanting summer to end. I loved the long summer days of being free to be.....a kid. One would think that being post kid age, I would of given up my rebellious ways. I'm here to testify that I have not. I want to be excited for school to start, but I'm not there.

* I don't have our whole curriculum ordered. We have enough to do school, but there is more I want/need? to get.

* All those wonderful school supplies that I keep seeing at the stores, have yet to make it into the cart. Times are tight, so when I'm looking to buy food or pencils the food always wins out. Unless of course the pencils are flavored, then maybe I would consider it a valid purchase. ;o)

* The school room is so totally not done. Right now the table is covered, and I mean literally covered and stacked with books that need to find a home.

* My mojo is missing and I don't know where I left it. I think the last place I saw it was the end of the school year when I was thinking about .....summer.

So, there it is.

Keeping it real here.

Now, does this mean that I will sit back and not teach my kids? Will I let them just slither off and become, those homeschoolers!!?? You know those ones that you read about in the newspaper, cause you know the newspaper always tells the truth.

No!! I will:

* Use what we have till I buy the rest.

* Use the supplies I have bought through the years and maybe save a penny or two.

* Get the school room ready, and if not then we do have other rooms to use.

* Find my mojo, even if it means heading to the beach to do a unit study on tide pools.

Ahh, yes....... my type of schooling.

I am very fortunate to be able to attend a small women's Bible study and prayer group once a week. Last week we discussed the book of Ruth, and it was very interesting and enlightening. The leader gave 4 points about the book which are examples of the christian life.

1.) The Christian life is a life of choices

2.) The Christian life is a life of work and obedience

3.) The Christian life is a life of dependence

4.) The Christian life is a life of reward

Each of these points goes along with the four chapters in the book of Ruth.

Lets take point one, "The Christian life is a life of choices."

The text is from Ruth chapter one.

Ruth was in a place in her life where she had a couple of major choices. She could stay in her homeland and perhaps get remarried or go with her mother in law Naomi to a land she never knew. I don't know how long Ruth struggled with the issue, but I do know what her choice ultimatly was. " Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, of anything but death separates you and me". ( Ruth 1: 16-17 )

Ruth left her homeland, her family, her gods, and her security to go to a new place. She made a tough choice. When they got to Bethlehem the whole town was stirred up. They talked among themselves about if that was really Naomi and what happened to her. Naomi told them that the Lord had afflicted her and brought her back empty. Then the two women, Naomi and Ruth the Moabite, started their life again.

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Choices. I know we all have to make choices every day, but what happens when those choices become life changing ones? Are we ready and willing to step out and follow the Lord, despite how it may appear? Do we want to please so many people that we forget about pleasing and doing the work of the Lord? Ruth's choice was obvious, stay or go. Yet, her choice affected the rest of her life and also the lives of countless others. Our choices matter. We cannot decide for other people, just as Ruth could not decide for her sister in law. We can only decide for ourselves and do what the Lord wants us to do.
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Have you had any major choices to make? How did you go about choosing which way to go? How did your choices affect those around you? If you could make your choices over would you change your decisions? How would that affect your life now?

Please take time to read the first chapter of Ruth and answer the questions.

All the Way My Saviour Lead Me

I love that song and it has meant more to me this summer then at any other time in my life. Here is the link to video... HERE

I am so happy that my Saviour is leading me. :o)

My Birthday

I normally don't blog about my birthday, but yesterday was too great a day not to blog about!! :o) I turned 42 yesterday and my girls took me to North Conway, which is a town about 45 minutes from us with all kinds of outlet stores and little shops. The girls, who both work, took me shopping. I tried not to get too crazy, but I got a Clean Cotton candle from Yankee Candle and random things from the other stores. After we shopped the girls took me out to lunch at Friendly's. Not only was the food yummy, but the conversation was great!! There is nothing better then sitting in a restaurant with your daughters and chatting like there is no tomorrow. There were no awkward silences, no rolling of the eyes, and no feeling that these two teenagers would rather be somewhere else. ;o) After lunch we headed to the center of North Conway and walked the main street with all the little shops. The girls got some things for themselves, we chatted more, and laughed a lot!! It was a blessed day and I'm so glad I got to spend it with two of my most favorite people in the whole wide world. :o)

My 'Students'

Me and my dd Shannon

My dd Emily last spring before the 'Senior Ball'

DS, Duncan last winter

DS, Max with his cousin who is in the army.

This was taken last fall and is of Duncan.

This is one of my dds, Emily, senior pictures.

Shannon practicing the piano at church.

Duncan at the old craft fair last fall.

All the kids plus Max's girlfriend Lindsay

My 'students' are: Emily who is 17 and is a senior this year. The picture of her in the gown is from going to the Senior Ball with a public school friend.

Shannon is 15 and is a junior.

Duncan is 13 and is in 8th grade.

Max is our first graduate and is starting his second year of college.

Head on over to mythreeboybarians in join in the Not Back to School Month fun!! :o)