March 16, 2011

Choices

Choices... many.... many....many choices.
Every year at this time we begin the hunt for materials for our next school year.
Do you KNOW how many different ways there are to learn things?  Do you KNOW how many books are out there?

This is one of the (many) times to evaluate what we've liked and enjoyed during this current school year and to consider the things we'd rather not do again if we can avoid it.



I love the freedom we enjoy to pick & choose.  To match learning styles and materials.  To pursue special interests and discover new passions.  I love home schooling!

There are also choices in many other areas that seem to manifest at this time of year.  Clearing off bookshelves is a beginning.  It seems to lead to clearing out excess clothes, other clutter and general miscellaneous stuff that seems to accumulate throughout the winter.  What stays, what goes?  Do we just toss it or donate it to charity or hang on to it for the church yard sale in a few months? 
For some reason this is the time of year that I also begin to mull the thought of moving.
Now, we've lived in our home for 15 years and have redone just about every room from top to bottom (though our bedroom floor and baseboard molding aren't finished yet!).  I love my home!
We've had one serious stint of 'let's move' that happened about 4 or 5 years ago and at that point we had looked at a lot of houses/areas within commutable distance and finally decided this was home and we were staying put unless God made it REALLY clear that we were going someplace.
Yet with the changes in the economy and all, the thought has again surfaced repeatedly this year.  I doubt anything will come of it unless God puts up a lot of really clear signs for us - we're slow like that but God knows that about us. :-)
I love the fact that we have so much freedom and flexibility in Christ.  Following Him is - for some people a very narrow road - and it is in a lot of ways - but there is SO much freedom in that path!  God doesn't take away our ability to choose when we turn our lives over to Him - he offers all the very BEST choices!
Homeschooling is one of my favorite examples of this fact.  We have the options to choose how they learn, what they learn, when they learn and most importantly ... they get to do it with the people who care most about them on this earth and who have the most vested interest in making sure they do it well.  That my friends is freedom...and love.
That is exactly how it is in Christ.  He cares most about us and guides us to the very BEST there is so we can do this life well.  Pretty clear indication to me that I am loved and free. :-)



Photo credit WikiCommons.org

March 5, 2011

Anniversary and a song

Last week Steve and I celebrated our anniversary.  We've been married 15 years and it just keeps getting better. 

He is my best friend and loves me more than I can believe is possible and definitely better than I deserve.  Everyday I thank God for sending me the perfect husband for me...one who honors me, believes in me, trust me and inspires me to be better than I think I can be.  I am beyond blessed.
We have this sort of running joke where I tell him how thankful I am for all he does for me and he tells me that I'm just easy to please.  This is because he never sees that all he does, each day, is really anything special or "more" than the ordinary.  I see things... I KNOW that I am well treated by this man who shares my life.  I think he does an amazing job of living the scriptures that tell a husband to love his wife and care for her the way Christ does the church.
And he will comment and tell me that I give him too much credit. :-)  It's just the way he is.

A few years ago he downloaded a song for me as a present.  He is not one to be overly demonstrative and wordy and the song brought me to tears in seconds.




Any doubt that he is awesome?

I didn't think so either. :-)