I know I've not written to any of you in awhile. I've kind of been in a tailspin, not downward, not upward and not sideways, just all sorts of ways. This is the time of year I start evaluating last school year, what we liked, what we didn't, what we want to change etc. I start getting really serious with the book buying and scheduling of days. I've been thinking back over the year and on the whole we had a great year. Most of the curriculum we used I plan to continue. The only thing I'm not real happy with is how our year ended. When Dad died we sort of went on a free spin for awhile. I've had a very hard time getting the kids going on lessons, and they seemed to have a hard time getting into them. So they have been hit or miss which means we have to get that finished up and wrapped up in the next couple of months so that we can start the new year on a better footing. I know we will get it done.
With all of that said if you know anything else about what goes on in our lives in summer you know it is very busy right now. While I'm in the garden I use that time to think about what I will do to make our days better, how I could organize this or that to run smoother, what I need to order, calls I need to make, etc. I also talk to God a lot out in the garden. This year it seems I cannot keep the weeds out, the faster I weed, the faster they grow. So I've really been pouring my heart out to God about this. There is one weed that sometimes confuses me as to if its a weed or one of my vegetable plants and I have to look at it closely and sometimes a few times before I realize it is one of the most hated weeds in my garden. Papa calls it race track or something like that, it starts out innocent enough, but as it grows it gets harder to pull out and it sprouts thorns that will stab you when you walk buy or brush it. It really hurts! God pointed out that sometimes our lives get like the vegetable garden. Our activities start out innocent, but they spin out of control. Sin too is like that, we think its just a simple sin, not a really bad sin or maybe its not really even a sin, but in time it becomes a life choking activity, or a life choking sin. So we need to step back and look at our lives as a beautiful bunch of flowers, what is in the bouquet, is it full of things that are fulfilling? Or have I let things in that are not so fulfilling, but I'm afraid to let this person down, or that person? Is it beneficial to me or my family? If it is simply to please someone else other than God it needs to be pulled out. If I get no fulfillment out of it, it is a weed. If it does not benefit my family then it is a weed. Weeds are not always weeds. Wildflowers in an open field are a bunch of beautiful flowers, but if they are growing a bed I did not want them in they are weeds. Grass is not a weed, it fills my yard and keeps it from being muddy, but in my vegetable garden it chokes the life out of my vegetables and steals the nutrition from my plants. It is the same in the garden of your life. Sin can start out innocently, but before we know it has taken over and is slowly killing us spiritually. Activities for the school year start out innocently and are good for the kids, but sometimes they get out of hand and we don't have time for the important things in our life. We get overwhelmed and we get tired, then it is becoming life choking, nutrition stealing weeds. So with all of this I'm really looking at some opportunities we have and really thinking about what we really want to do, what we really need to do and what we need to say no too. Its not easy! Just today we learned about Girl Scouts starting for Bri, ballroom dancing for all of us, okay I really want to do this. We are already involved in an outdoor group, art, karate, piano, boy scouts and dance. What day do we really have available, what hour do we have open? Oh man, I've really got to look at this and decide what we really need or I just may lose my sanity this year! Some people actually think homeschooling means your home, ha ha, not in this family! I really need to talk to God some more about what He wants us to do this year, and what he wants us to accomplish. So often I learn after asking Him that we are not on the path He has set before us and that is why our life feels overwhelming sometimes. I must remember that His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
I pray God's blessing on each of you!
Lisa
