Monday, April 30, 2007

May those who've gone before us light the way.....

My Mom's favorite hobby is genealogy research. Because she shares what she learns with all of us, I am very familiar with my heritage. She has written down her findings and had them bound into books, so I have the information inmy hands to pass along to my children. I am thrilled to be able to do that!

What I want most to pass along to my kids, though, is a rich spiritual heritage. I am blessed to have been raised in an environment in which the Bible was the center of our home, my parents were strong christians, and most of their friends were preachers or missionaries.

BUT, even if you've never been in that kind of environment, you can still pass a rich spiritual heritage to your children. First and foremost, live your beliefs in front of your kids. Beyond that, introduce them to, or tell them about the person who led you to Christ. Tell them about all the folks who prayed for you, who influenced you to come to know Christ.

Certainly, we've all been influenced by hearing messages from some of the "famous" evangelists and teachers~Billy Graham, Beth Moore, etc. What I want to pass along to my kids is my thanks to all those "unsung heroes"~folks who influence others for Christ simply by living their lives in obedience to Him.

Introduce your children to the elderly folks in your church, and help your kids establish a friendship with these wonderful saints of God. If you expose your children now, while they are young, to Godly people, you are building a rich spiritual heritage for your kids.

In my prayer time last night, I was thanking the Lord for all the people he has brought into my life wh have had a strong spiritual influence on me. I'd like for my children to some day read this "thank you list".

My Grandfather, Walter Stonewall Shipman~He only came to know Christ 5 years before he died, but his love of God and His Word was evident to everyone he met. He was saved when I was 4 years old, and he passed away when I was 9. I don't remember ever seeing him without his Bible.

My parents, Don and Martha Shipman~they taught me the Word of God, and lived it before me. They dedicated 15 years of their lives to providing food, clothing, and shelter to the homeless. Most importantly, they shared Christ with each of these folks, and led many of them to the Lord.

My parents worked hard, and sacrificed a lot, because they were determined that my sisters and I would attend christian schools. My Dad often worked 2 jobs to make this possible.

Dr Lester Roloff~a great preacher! One of my fondest memories is of attending his old timey "camp meetings" during the summers when I was a child. His faith was amazing. His support and advice for my parents in their ministry was invaluable.

Dr Lee Roberson~I have always felt a call for ministering to children, and I think Dr Roberson is partly responsible for that. As I've said in recent posts, he was a man who lived out his faith. A part of that was his love for children, and his refusal to push them aside. He treated children with respect, and he let them know that they were important to him, and to God.

Mrs Sue Avery~this lady was my first grade teacher. She had a way of making the Bible stories that she shared with us come to life.

Miss Kathy~I don't remember this dear lady's last name, but she was a lady in our church who, for whatever reason, took a special interest in me when I was little. I would sit next to her in church and she would hold her Bible open so that I could see it too, and we would follow along together when the pastor read Scriptures. She helped me memorize verses for Sunday School and my lines for the Christmas play. And, she always had bubble gum! :)

Mr Rick Jackson~he was pastor of a small church, and taught Bible classes in a christian school. He showed me that a person could love God and live according to His Word and still have, and show, a wonderful sense of humor. He taught me that lots of things that aren't necessarily fun CAN be fun if you make up your mind to have a good time.

Mr Jerry Castleberry~my high school US History teacher. He instilled a love of history in me that has stayed with me, and has been a huge help in homeschooling my own children. More importantly, Mr Castleberry taught me that doing your best is important because it's the RIGHT thing to do. He taught me that a person's word should mean something, and that doing less than your best was cheating yourself and failing to bring glory to God. And, he told GREAT stories! :)

Mr. Joe Bokel~Mr. Bokel was my Bible teacher during my Junior and Senior years in high school. He put a lot of emphasis on a concept he called "the morning watch"~this was his name for the practice of starting out each day spending time in God's Word, and in prayer. I confess that my "morning" watch has sometimes been a "late night" watch instead of morning, but it was during my time in Mr. Bokel's classes that I began to truly know for myself how vital it is to spend daily private time with my Heavenly Father.

My Aunt Lila~Lila came to know Christ as a teenager. She wandered away from the Lord for many years, but you would never know that now. Her desire to do the Lord's will just shines in her life.

Mr Jim White~Brother Jim is an older man in our church. There have been very few times that I have seen him without a smile. He has become sort of a mentor to my husband and to me. He loves our children, and always makes them feel special. He volunteers in our AWANA program, spending time listening to the children recite the verses they have learned. He has a way of encouraging them that amazes me.

Mr O.E. "Bud" Martin~Brother Bud was a misionary to Alaska. He stayed with us for a year or so once when he was on furlough. Bro. Bud was a man who simply could not stop himself from sharing Christ with EVERYONE he came in contact with. Thank God for that!

Bro. Bud was at our house on my 4th birthday. My grandfather came to see us that day, to celebrate my birthday with me. As soon as Bro. Bud had been introduced to my grandfather, he asked Papa if he knew Christ as his Savior. A few minutes later, he had led Papa to Christ! My parents had been praying for my Papa's salvation for about 20 years!! I am so thankful for Brother Bud's boldness in sharing Christ with others!

My high school "Senior Class Song" was a song called Find Us Faithful by Steve Green. A part of it says this:

We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

That's what these folks, and many others, are for me~the folks who have lighted the way with the testimonies of their lives. One day, I want to share this list with my children, and help them to know about these folks. In the meantine, I hope to expose them to a long list of Godly people who will "light the way" for them.

Blessings,
Vicki

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Another Soldier's Coming Home

This song has been running through my head all day today.....

Strike up the Band!
Assemble the Choir!
Another Soldier's Coming Home!


I am very, very blessed with, in the words of singer Steve Green, a heritage of faithfulness. I was blessed to have been raised in a home with parents who didn't just claim to be christians, and didn't just take us to church because they were 'supposed to". I was blessed with parents who very much LIVED their faith in front of us.

One of my grandfathers is no longer with us. He passed away 27 years ago. He didn't come to know the Lord until 5 years before he died, but when he did get saved, oh my goodness, you never saw such a change in a person!!! My other grandfather and both my grandmothers are still with us, and they are all christians.

Because my father is a preacher, and because I attended a christian schoolt that at one time was very well known, I was exposed to MANY wonderful preachers. Preachers like Jack Hyles, and John R Rice, and many others.

Two of my "heroes of the faith" were Dr Lester Roloff and Dr. Lee Roberson. Dr Roloff was special in many ways, and I was always blessed by hearing him speak. He went home to be with Jesus many years ago, by way of a plane crash.

This morning, Dr Lee Roberson went home to be with Jesus. I had the privelege of attending a very large church in Chattanooga, TN when Dr Roberson was the pastor there. He baptized me. Instead of 'brushing me off" because I was only 6 years old, he took the time to talk to me, to make sure that I understood what it meant to accept Christ as my Saviour, and what being baptized symbolized, and then he baptized me, in front of about 2,000 people!! :)

The church he pastored also operated a christian school. My children are homeschooled, but when I was a child, my parents had never heard of homeschoooling and did not even realized there was such a thing. So, they made many sacrifices so that my sisters and I could attend Christian schools. In the sign language class I took, one of the first signs I learned was our "special sign" for Dr Roberson's name.

For many years, my parents operated a shelter for homeless women~some single, some with children. The shelter was near Dr Roberson's church. He did not hesitate to say yes when my father went to him and asked him if the folks that stayed in the shelter would be welcome at the church. Furthermore, Dr Roberson added the shelter to the list of missions that his church supported monetarily on a regular basis, and he awarded christian school scholarships to some of the children who were residents at the shelter.

I was priveleged to not only hear about or read about Dr Roberson. For a few years, I got to see him on an almost daily basis, and I know that he LIVED his faith. I also know that he left behind a legacy of faith that is very evident in the lives of his children and grandchildren (some of whom I went to school with).

I was priveleged to hear Dr Roberson's last sermon at Highland Park Baptist Church, appropriately titled "Finish Your Race Well".

I believe that at 4:45 this morning, the heavenly order went out~Strike up the band! Assemble the choir! Another soldier's coming home!

I have no doubt that this soldier of the cross finished his race well. I pray that some day the same will be said of me.
Blessings,
Vicki

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Knowing Where the Wall Is

Lately, I"ve been asking God to help me understand WHY we are facing some particular struggles right now. I'm asking that because I want to be sure that we learn whatever lesson God has for us in our struggles, so that we don't struggle in vain.

Tonight, I indulged my favorite "habit" and watched a baseball game on television. I watched an outfielder back toward the wall, reach up to make a catch, take a "peek" over his shoulder to see where the wall was, and then look shocked as he stumbled into the wall and the ball hit the ground in front of him, allowing the runner to reach second base.

This particular major league player is an excellent outfielder, but he was playing on a field that was unfamiliar to him, as he had only played there a few times. He had no idea where that wall was, amd it cost him.

Now, fast forward to the bottom of the 9th inning. This young man is once again at his position in the outfield. But this time, there is a runner on base, and a man at the plate. IF the batter hits a home run, the game is over, and our young outfielder's team loses.

Finally, after the pitcher runs the count full, 3 balls, 2 strikes, the batter makes contact with the ball. You can hear the CRACK of the bat. The ball takes flight, and it is headed for the outfield bleachers~almost.

Our young outfielder watches the ball, and begins to back up. He's running. He's got to hurry, or the ball will be gone! He continues to back up, his glove raised, and his eye on the ball. Finally, ONE STEP shy of the wall, we hear the satisfying THUMP of the ball hitting leather, and the young man raises the ball in victory. Having caught the ball and made the final out of the game, he is now free to head to the mound and celebrate with his teammates. After the game, he is seen repeatedly rubbing his shoulder. He hurt it running into that wall on that first fly ball. But, he tells the reporter, he doesn't mind because knowing where that wall was is what helped him make the catch that ended the game.

I think God does the same thing for us sometimes. We struggle, and we slam into the wall and hurt ourselves. God doesn't WANT us hurt, but He allows it sometimes so that the next time the situation arises, we KNOW where that wall is, and we can catch the ball WITHOUT slamming into it.

So, if you're struggling with something right now, don't let the devil discourage you. Just get up, dust yourself off, and keep in mind that next time, you'll know exactly where that wall is.
Blessings,
Vicki

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Getting out of the pit, and taking the plunge

I have GOT to tell you~if you haven't read Beth Moore's book titled "Get Out of That Pit" then please, by all means, get hold of a copy and read it. I got it from the library, but as soon as I am able, I WILL be purchasing my own copy.

I don't know. Maybe the Lord won't use it to speak to you the way He used it to speak to me, but you won't know unless you read it. All I can say is that it opened my eyes to a LOT of things. I read the whole thing in 2 days, and even before I finished the book, my thinking about several areas of my life had changed.

In a nutshell, we all are, or have been 'living in a pit' at some point in our lives~a pit we were thrown into by unforseen circumstances like serious illness, death of a loved one, drastic financial issues, and other circumstances~a pit we slipped into by giving in to a "little" sin, or indulging in a "little" self pity, etc.~or, a pit we jumped into, knowing we were making the wrong decision but doing it anyway because it's what we wanted to do. The point of the book is that no matter what pit we are in, or how we got there, we do NOT have to stay there!! God does not intend for us to be "pit dwellers". I cannot express how this has "hit home" for me, and how it has impacted my thinking about many areas of my life. I really, strongly encourage you to read the book, prayerfully and with a heart and mind open to hearing that still small voice.

Now, about taking the plunge~well, tonight I did it. I told our Children's Ministry Director tonight that I would serve as VBS Director for 2007. Heaven help me, I hope that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew on this one!! Last year's program was fantastic~I hope this year's program will be as good.

Satan keeps whispering in my ear that this is too big a job for me, that I can't do it, and he keeps listing for me all the things that are going to keep me from being able to do this and do it well.

But you know what? We had 6 precious children saved during our VBS last year. One of those was my daughter. 6 may not be a huge number, but that is 6 precious souls that have been snatched out of satan's grip. If we can do that again, if we can pull back just one child from the edge of Satan's snare and lead that precious child to Christ, then it will all have been worth it.

Please, please remember me, our church, and our VBS program in your prayers.

Blessings,
Vicki

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Open Thank You Letters

To Our Family Doctor:

You know, you TOTALLY cost us too much money, but I'm willing to deal with that because you are a rare breed among doctors. Thank you for calling me and my husband by our first names and not only and always referring to us as "Mom" and "Dad". I mean really, I love being called Mom, but only by my children!!!

Thank you for remembering that our family loves baseball, and asking me how my fantasy team is doing whenever I come into your office.

Thank you for behaving as if you care about my children as individuals, and not treating them like a number.

Thank you for encouraging me to trust my instincts when it comes to my children, and for never speaking to me as if I'm stupid.

Because of all of these things, I don't mind so much your trip to Hawaii that my family probably paid for!!! :)

Sincerely,
A grateful parent

To My Husband:
Okay, I know I should have posted this letter FIRST, but work with me here, okay? :)
Thank you for getting up and going to work EVERY single morning, whether you feel like it or not, so that I can be home with our kids. Thank you for being willing to go to work at 2 jobs so that we can make ends meet.

Thank you for knowing when I need a hug, and when I just need to be left alone.

Thank you for listening to my endless rambling about curriculum, which standardized test to use, and whether or not our son is ready for formal education.

Thank you for patiently listening to me blow off steam when the kids have rubbed my nerves raw.

Thank you for laughing with me at the hilarious things they do and say.

Thank you for barring them from our room on Saturday mornings so that I can have some time to myself, and for always making Saturday mornings fun for them.

Thank you for loving me even in the midst of my moods, pms, worrying too much, talking too much, and all those other things that I am sure must drive you nuts.

Oh, and thanks for letting me play with you guys in the fantasy baseball league.

Most of all, thank you for being the Godly, loving husband, father, man that you are.
I love you more than I know how to say.
With all my heart,
Your Wife

To the AWANA Leaders at church:
Thank you for caring about our children. Thank you for partnering with us in teaching our children the Word of God. Thank you for making my kids feel special. Thank you for your willingness to be used by the Lord to bless the children in AWANA. You are a blessing to their parents as well.
Sincerely,
A grateful parent

Thank you, Lord:
Thank you for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for my sins.

Thank you for the husband You chose for me, and the children You blessed us with. Thank you for allowing the times of testing and trials to draw us closer together, rather than driving us apart.

Thank you for allowing us to have such a wonderful relationship with my parents and my sisters. Thank you for blessing our family with my neices and nephews.

Thank you for giving us assuracne that we are in the church You want us in. Thank you for the friends we've made there.

Thank you for leading our family to homeschool. Thank you for your guidance and direction in our efforts to give them a good education. Thank you for a fantastic homeschool group, and the wonderful friends we have there.

Thank You, Lord, for the peace that comes from knowing that You are in complete control of every facet of my lfie. Thank you for your boundless, endless love, of which I am so unworthy. Thank You for loving me.
With love,
Your Child

Blessings,
Vicki

Friday, April 20, 2007

Open Letters

I have seen "open letters" on several blogs lately. It's a way to let off steam and maybe while you're at it, give someone else a laugh, or something to think about. So, here goes:

Dear Library Employee:

I am the person that asked you a question this morning. As a first time visitor to your library, I expected to be treated with a bit more kindness. It is, after all, a PUBLIC library, and I am, in fact, a tax paying member of the public. The county that employs you should really think about spending some of our tax money to send you to charm school.

Sincerely,
An Insulted Citizen

Dear OTHER Library employee:
Thank you for being so kind to me after the other individual was such a snarky snit. You are to be commended for your friendliness. I am proud to pay taxes so that our public libraries can employ such nice people as yourself. I hope you start to "rub off" on your co-worker!! And for what it's worth, I think it's a shame that such a nice person as you has to work alongside someone who is such a grouch.
Sincerely,
A Grateful Library Patron

Dear Rude Relative:
Yeah, I'm talking to you~the one who heard me mention something that my son did, then asked me if I spanked him for it, then 5 seconds later, heard my husband mention somethning ELSE my son did, and asked me if I spanked him for that!!

Okay, first of all, it's NONE of your business.Second of all, I have witnessed your parenting skills. You do a nice job, but perfect you are NOT! So, lay off me, lay off my kids, and mind your own doggone business!!
Sincerely,
Your Ticked Off Relative

Coming soon: Open "thank you" letters.

Blessings,
Vicki

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Differences between Men and Women

We all know that men and women are different from each other. What continues to amaze me though, is the many WAYS in which we are different.

I had a conversation yesterday with some folks from our church. There were 4 of us present, 3 women and a man. I made a comment that meant NOTHING to the women, but, for whatever reason, the man took offense to what I said. I was surprised that he was offended, but still, I did apologize. He merely nodded, then walked away!!! So then, *I* was offended!!!

I was in a bit of a bad mood yesterday anyway, and the more I thought about this, the more annoyed I became. I was annoyed that he was offended in the first place, and even more annoyed that he was rather rude when I apologized.

While all this was going on, I made a comment to a friend in an email. After re-reading it when it came to my inbox, I thought that it might have sounded rude, so I wrote again to let her know that I did not intend any offense. I think that is a "woman" thing. I didn't KNOW that she was offended, but wanted to say something "just in case".

Then, LOL! She read my blog in which I ranted about the man I had talked to, but I didn't SAY on the blog that it was a man~I just said it was a person. Bless her heart, she wrote to me to again assure me that she never meant any offense to me, because she thought the blog post might be referring to her!!

Now, I like this lady very much and have a great deal of respect for her, and I would not laugh at her, but this is funny!!! Here is this man, being so easily offended, and then rude when I apologized, and then here are me and my friend running email circles around each other to make sure that we haven't hurt each others feelings!! You wouldn't catch a couple of guys doing that!! LOL!
Blessings,
Vicki

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Homeschooling means you never have to grow up!!

I had a blast annoying my kids this morning!!! Yeah, I said ANNOYING my kids! I was being a huge pain in the keister, and I was having fun doing it!!! LOL

The whole hum-drum "pick up all your stuff and put it away, make your beds, brush your hair, brush your teeth, etc, etc." every morning was getting really old. So this morning, I told the kids that I was the "Clutter robot" on robot patrol. I walked through the entire house, and whenever I saw anything out of place, I would stop, point at it, and make a really loud, really obnoxious siren/alarm type noise until one of the kids ran over and put the offending item away, or made the bed, or brushed the hair, or whatever it was that was needed.

This SO annoyed my 9yo daughter, Rachel!! Every time she said
"Mo-o-o-o-m!" in that thoroughly annoyed voice, I thought to myself "Yeah! Payback! All Right!" LOL

So, Rachel was annoyed, but Alex and Noah were laughing their heads off, and the house got straightened up, so, it works for me!! I thoroughly enjoyed behaving like an annoying 4 year old!!

Now, I have to go behave like a boring old grown up and make the boring old grocery list so we can go buy some boring old grown up groceries. Bummer! :(

Blessings,
Vicki

Thursday, April 12, 2007

I'm really cookin' now!!

Sorry. I tried to give this post another title, I really did, but I just couldn't resist. What can I say? I'm weak! :)

I, Vicki, otherwise known as "she who hates to cook" has now cooked dinner using actual recipes from an actual cookbook for 2 nights in a row. I realize this means NOTHING to most people, but this is quite the accomplishment for me.

Yesterday for breakfast, we had waffles. Yes, they were the frozen kind that you just pop into the oven for 5 minutes, but I still consider them to be a step up from Pop Tarts! LOL For lunch, we had deli ham, sliced cheese, crackers, and grapes. Last night's dinner was baked bbq chicken which turned out to be delicious! The homemade macaroni and cheese, well, not so much. It was edible, but not good. On the upside, I do think I know what went wrong with the mac and cheese, so I will try again some time~one day when I'm feeling brave. :)

Today's "brunch" was toast~with cheese, or with butter and jelly, or peanut butter~kids choice and fruit~the fruit was canned, except for the grapes, but again, better than Pop Tarts.

Dinner was better tonight. I used a recipe called 'beef noodle skillet"~basically, it's home made hamburger helper. I served some mixed veggies with it, and made "bits of sunshine biscuits". All of these items were a hit with hubby and the munchkins! YAY!

We WILL be sticking to one night a week of frozen/microwavable dinners. This is because I have to do my grocery shopping in the evening when dh can drive me, so usually by the time we get home, everyone is HUNGRY and TIRED, including me. So, we do really easy, quick stuff on Tuesdays, which is our usual grocery shopping night.

You didn't expect me to go completely cold turkey, did you? :)
Blessings,
Vicki

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A 4 post day!!!

This post might explain a bit about the "tone" of my 3 previous posts from today.

This morning, I needed to go into the bathroom. Seeing that the door was halfway open, I assumed no one was in there and walked right in. That is where I found my 5 year old son, standing in a perfectly good bathroom, RIGHT next to a perfectly good toilet, tinkling into the TRASH CAN!!!!!

What on earth is up with THAT?! What makes a healthy, typical, 5yo boy walk into the bathroom and say to himself "Sure, there is a perfectly good, clean toilet here, but, hmmm....I think it's a good idea to use the trash can instead."

WHAT the heck?!!

Once I found my voice again, I immediately let him know, in NO uncertain terms that he was never, ever, ever, to do that again!!!

Now. Fast forward to this afternoon. It's 5:15 pm. Roger and the kids are trying to eat their supper so we can leave for church by 6pm. I'm in the other room getting ready, and I hear Roger say "Noah, where are you? You're too quiet! What are you up too?" Noah doesn't answer, so a minute later I can hear Roger's footsteps, walking around the house, looking for Noah. The next thing I hear is Roger booming out "NOAH BRIAN!!!!"

Right away, I know this CAN'T be good. I rush into the room they are in. I see Roger, but don't see Noah. That, I soon find out, is because Noah is hiding under the bed. He doesn't yet realize that hiding under the bed is a dead giveaway that he's done something he shouldn't have done.

Roger pulls Noah out from under the bed. Noah immediately begins to cry, burying his face on Roger's shoulder. He refuses to look at either of us. This is NOT good.

The child had taken gum from an Easter basket ~without permission, I might add. He had gotten gum in his hair, and rather than tell us that so that we could get it out, he decides to use a pair of child's scissors to CUT the gum out of his hair!!!!! AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

He now has a small almost bald spot right in the FRONT of his hair!!!!

I fear that I'll be joining him soon. Sooner or later, I'M going to have a bald spot if I keep pulling my hair out this way!!!!!!

Is anybody out there praying for me? Oh, Lord have mercy, I hope so!!!! :)
Blessings,
Vicki

Growing Pains~the Spiritual Kind

I mentioned in a post from a couple of days ago that we had been experiencing some trouble~financial, and with a particular family situation.

I"m happy to report that I feel a lot better about things today. Nothing is "fixed" as of yet, but I can see some things going on that are encouraging to me. I see myself and my husband growing spiritually, becoming more mature in our walk with Christ.

On the financial front, my husband told me yesterday that he plans to give up a certain leisure time activity that he enjoys. He is going to be taking on a second job, so he won't have much time to pursue the hobby for a while anyway, so he has decided to sell the equipment he uses for this hobby. No one asked him to do this, he has done it on his own.

A while back when we were in a financial "tight spot" someone suggested that he sell this stuff, and his reasoning at that time was "but I work really hard, and I DESERVE to indulge in my hobby after work". Well, that may be true, but he deserves financial peace and stability too,. and he has grown enough to come to that conclusion on his own.

I've done some growing of my own. God has changed my heart, and changed how I feel about.....of all things.....cooking. I have NEVER liked cooking! I have often WANTED to like it, and WISHED that I DID like it, but I've never liked it.
But, if Roger is willing to work 2 jobs, and to give up a hobby he enjoys, then I need to do my part too. So, this week when I made our grocery list, I cut out most of the "convenience" items and instead bought the ingredients to make things myself, from (gasp!) recipes!!! This means that I am going to have to invest a little more time in menu planning, and I'm going to have to spend a little more time in the kitchen doing actual ( gasp again!) COOKING!! LOL!

And, as shocked as I am to say this, I am GLAD to do it! Working a job outside the home to bring in an additional income is not an option for me right now, so I am willing, and honestly GLAD to be able to contribute in this way. I've been asking the Lord to show me how to actively do something to help our financial situation, and now He has. He has shown me that it's time for me to grow up and get cookin'! LOL!

The other situation, the family situation, I am still unsure about. I'm not even sure that my dh sees the situation as a problem at all. For sure, he doesn't see it as a big problem the way I do. More prayer is in order for that situation.

God in His mercy though, has shown me that He is doing a work in dh and in me. He is guiding us in the financial situation, and He can guide us in the family situation as well. Oh, how thankful I am to know that!
Blessings,
Vicki

Outgrowing the need for support?

I read this morning where another homeschooler stated that after a few years of homeschooling her children, she "outgrew" the need for a homeschool co-op or a support group that sponsors field trips, parties, etc.

I was a bit offended by this because to me, the tone of the message was that 'someday when we grow up, we should outgrow the need for a group too'. She didn't SAY that, but that was the implication. She made the statement that she 'never got anything' out of the field trips and holiday parties. She said that she and her children "learned to do things as a family" without the need for "verification" from others, or the need to be "part of a group". Again, implying that needing to feel like part of a group is a weakness.

Well, I'm sorry, but I think this is way off base. We are part of a Christian HS group, and it's been, and continues to be, a GREAT experience for my family! We have parties, playdates, field trips, Mom's Night's, a social studies fair each year( sometimes 2) and all kinds of cool stuff!! As a matter of fact, tomorrow we are going to watch a policeman perform a demonstration with his trained canine partner.

Maybe there are some people who don't "get anything" out of this kind of thing. That's fine, but it doesn't make you more mature than people who DO get something out of it.

And here is something else to consider~maybe, just maybe, you get very little out of it because you put very little into it.

Doing things on your own is great, but every now and then it's bound to get a little lonely.

Blessings,
Vicki

For Cryin' Out Loud!!!!!

What were you doing when you were 11?

Let me see. If I remember correctly, at age 11 I was in the 5th grade. Elementary School. We still had recess, played dodge ball and jumped rope. I distinctly remember our teacher, Mrs. Wofford, reading aloud to us every day. I remember she read several of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" books to us, as well as some mysteries~Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, maybe?

I had a best friend named Tammy, and we loved spending the night at each others houses. We both had "Gerber Baby" dolls, and we loved to try different outfits on them and play with them. We also played softball in my yard.

One thing we did NOT spend a lot of time thinking about was BOYS!! Take a look around on CBS.com and you will see a news story there about 5th graders being arrested for having sex IN the classroom WITH other elementary aged students, and NO adults present!!!!! EXCUSE ME??!! The article states that the class was 'inadvertantly" left alone for about 15 minutes.

Incidentally, I am not at all a fan of CBS news. I read the story there because I followed a link that led me there. You could probably find coverage of the same story on foxnews.com which I much prefer.

Anyway, WHAT is going on with these kids? I had NO idea about sex at the age of 11, and it is my opinion that NO child SHOULD have any clue about sex at the age of 11!!! Good grief!!!

There was another chilling element to this news article. The Sheriff in the county where this took place stated that the parents of these children would not be charged in any way because "while the kids are at school, the parents relinquish all control to the administration". He went on to say that "all we can do is look into what goes on in these children's homes". Well, gee, you THINK?!

If this doesn't give parents a valid reason to homeschool their children, then nothing ever will. For Crying Out Loud!!!!
Blessings,
Vicki

Monday, April 9, 2007

What do you do with days like this.....

When you are just in a foul mood, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better any time soon?

The situations I'm dealing with today are things that will eventually be worked out one way or the other, but there is no "quick fix"~no way that these things can be taken care of TODAY, or even within the next couple of days.

One situation involves family members, and it's hard because the person who has caused the problem is someone very close to me who doesn't even realize that they HAVE, in fact, caused a problem. Or, more precisely, this person is aware of the situation, but does not view it as a problem. Therefore, trying to work it out is rather like banging your head against the wall!!

The other situation is financial. It too will be worked out soon enough, but it's going to take time.

Finally, I am struggling spiritually because of these 2 situations. We have been tithing faithfully for some time now, and handling our money is what we believe to be a Scriptural way. In spite of all of this, we still struggle financially. Now, I know that God doesn't promise us that tithing will remove any and all financial struggles. But I truly believed that AT LEAST things wouldn't always be SUCH a financial struggle. But, instead of getting better, things have gotten worse, and if I may be blunt, I think that stinks!!!

I know that God can work out both the financial situation and the family problem, but for whatever reason, He has not chosen to do that, and I guess I'm just having a pity party and asking Him WHY today.

If you are so inclined, I could surely use some prayers today.
Blessings,
Vicki

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Why not?!

I am all ready contemplating next school year. One reason I am all ready thinking toward next year is because Noah will be in Kindergarten, which makes him a "semi-official" student.

By that I mean that he will not be officially registered with the county as a homeschooler because our state does not require registration until the age of 6, and Noah is only 5. But, he has show MANY signs of readiness for a little bit more structured learning, so he will be an "official at our house" Kindergartner as of August 1, 2007.

That means that begining in August, I will have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and a Kindergartner here at Eagles Wings Academy. I think a little more planning on my part is called for.

I have heard several discussions recently about 'year round' homeschooling. This term is a little bit deceptive in that these folks usually do take 12 weeks off ( as per our 180 day requirement here in the state of Georgia) but they don't take all 12 weeks, or even 8 weeks, or 6 weeks, during June, July, and August. I know one family who takes off the months of April, August, and December. Many families follow a 3 weeks on/1 week off plan.

I was sort of thinking out loud about this yesterday, when my 9yo daughter asked me "Mom, why DO we take the summer off from school? There's nothing else to do in the summer time anyway!"

Many would disagree with that statement, but I understand what she meant. We are not taking a family vacation this year, and even when we DO take family vacations, we usually take them in the Spring. Many of the activities my kids are ( or have been) involved in take the summer off~like scouts, American Heritage Girls, AWANA, our church's children's choir, even Noah's baseball team ends it's season at the end of May. So, from a kids point of view, there really isn't much to do in the summer. Spring and Fall, however, and even Winter at times, is very busy for us. So it DOES make sense to school in the summer and use our "off time" during times when we have other things going on.

So, we're going to give it a try this summer. I am not going to "push" to finish up our school year in May, as we have done in the past. We are only about 30 days shy of our 180 days for this school year, so we are going to take our time finishing those up. We took a break last week, and are only doing "the basics" this week. I"m still looking toward August 1 to be our 'official' start date for next year, but we will just see how it goes. I think it's going to be a good fit for our family.
Blessings,
Vicki