~socialization or adaptability?~

As a homeschool mom, I've grown quite used to being told people don't think homeschoolers get enough socialization.  Every time I've been told this by people who know my kids, they are sure to tell me that my kids are the exception.  Usually my kids are the only homeschoolers they know.  I love my kids and they are wonderfully unique, but they are not the exception.  We know many homeschool families and have met very few that need more socialization.  It's the only subject that people feel open to give their negative opinions on without first being asked.  Most people wouldn't dream of seeing me wear a particular brand of clothing, then proceed to put down my choice of clothes (at least to my face!).  They wouldn't bash my denomination or religion to my face, but homeschool seems to force people to take one side or the other!  If they didn't choose homeschool, they usually haven't researched it - it's just different than what they did so it must be bad.  Let's face it, some people are socially awkward - whether they were homeschooled or not!  Some people have a harder time adapting to new people, new places or new circumstances than others. I like to think that my kids are adaptable. 

To answer your question:  yes, they are socialized.  Even though they are not in a classroom with 30 other kids their same age, they are socialized.  If you ask me, they are over-socialized!  They play baseball, basketball and soccer.  They go to church and to the grocery store.  They are active in 4H and participate in classes like physics, public speaking and crochet.  They take piano lessons and Grayson even plays cello in the public school orchestra (Gasp!  Yes, they let her!  That's another question people ask).  Since their dad is a pastor, they make ministry visits to shut-ins, hospitals and nursing homes - even playing the piano at a local nursing home to uplift the elderly.  They knock on neighborhood doors to invite strangers to church (with an adult).  They are mannerly and considerate of others (not all the time), not easily angered (except by one another), they are confident - they can walk into a room and speak to anyone, of any age, any background or any race, and be real and speak from the heart (mostly that's a good thing, sometimes - not so much).

No, they are not perfect kids, neither are their parents:)  They will make mistakes - but they are grounded and headed in the right direction. 

If you have a negative opinion about homeschool, please save it - I've heard it all before.  I know you comment because you think you are in the right, but you don't answer to God for these kids - Glen and I do.  We're not trying to push homeschool on anyone so please don't take offense.  We're just doing what we know is right for our kids.

Blessings,

~family ties part 2~

Yesterday I promised part 2 of my husband's new adventure into finding his ancestry. Here it is!

http://pastorglenc.blogspot.com/2010/04/lesson-in-family-history-chapter-2.html

Enjoy!!!

Blessings,

~family ties~

For those of you who are interested, my husband has a new post on his blog.  He doesn't spend much time blogging, so this is a special treat:)

http://www.pastorglenc.blogspot.com/

Check it out to learn all about his latest adventure!

Blessings,

~flashback~

I ran across an old blog from a few years ago that could have been written today.  I began to think I've come so far, but I'm back in the same place!  Is there a lesson I didn't learn?  Did God make me do a u-turn and take that loop again?  Why the deja vu?

October 17, 2007 I wrote my first and only blog entry until I started again last year.  The entry was titled ungratefulness.  I had just started homeschooling and was working mornings in a local church office.  Glen was just a little over two years into the ministry and was working a  full-time job in another town at the time.  I  was in a place where I felt I didn't appreciate where I was or all I'd been given by God.  Low and behold.....here I am again!  I've pasted the entry below.....

Ungratefulness
Category: Life

Okay, this is my first blog.  Hopefully not the last, but who knows…

I have problems with "the blog" because it's like journaling – which is private – only it's not private.  So what would be the point?  Admittedly, my thoughts are not always "reader-ready" as soon as I think them!  I actually wrote this out last night so I could think on my thoughts first…….huh?

Lately God's been dealing with me on a few levels.  I'm not ready to share everything (remember, I'm a newbie), but I'll share on one thing.

Nothing ticks me off quite like people who are ungrateful.  When I take 2 minutes out of my day to come to your drive-thru window, at least have the decency to say "thank you"!  I know you don't mean it when you say it – but I feel better about the world and where it's headed! 

If my kids were to open a gift and not act like it's the best gift they've ever received (even if it's clothes...again), I would be mortified – and they would know it!

When I spend every day going to work, then rushing home to get lunch and schooling the kids, then getting dinner on and rushing to practices and piano lessons, then someone complains that their favorite jeans aren't clean?  C'mon!  Be glad you have jeans!  Kids in 3^rd world countries don't even have jeans – or do they?

Why, if I have issues with everyone else's ungratefulness, am I so ungrateful for where God has me right now?  Not just now – but always!

Am I grateful?  Does having a family mean having more dirty laundry?  Of course!  But thank you, God for my family.  Does it mean I don't get to see my husband very much because he's working his tail off to support our family?  Definitely!  But thank you for the ministry – and the job to sustain our family.

God's showing me that the things that mean the most are the hardest work.  I don't want to look back with regret and see that I didn't enjoy the times when we had soccer practice and Peter Pan play practice and birthday parties to run to.   If I am just grateful for where I am right now, then I can recognize all the wonderful gifts God has given me.  I'm trying to soak it all up – take time to breathe it in.  Thank you, God for my family – and their dirty laundry.  And thank you for putting up with my ungratefulness.

Five days  after  that post, my grandmother, the most stable person in my life, fell in her kitchen floor and broke several bones.  Seven days after her fall, she died....I couldn't think about blogging for a long time.  Ungrateful?  You betcha!   

The job I had at the church only lasted a few months, thank goodness.  Church  people are the hardest to please;-) God blessed Glen with another job.  More pay and in our  town.  Our life slowed down a little for a while.  It seems like busyness is creeping in again.  As I've said before, we're trying to pray over each activity and let the Holy Spirit guide - after all, no one can guide quite like Him, right?

I have come to terms with the death of my grandma and am so thankful she didn't suffer long on this earth. Most days I try not to think  about the fact that she's gone, but when I have a problem with the kids and I need answers, I miss being able to drop in on her for her "kitchen table" advice.  When the kids do something quirky or say something funny, I miss her sweet, gentle laugh. Yes, I  still miss her dearly and long to talk to her again and share a glass of iced tea with her at heaven's kitchen table.

We are busy, there's no question.  But God, please help me to slow down long enough to learn the lessons  You have for me the first time around!

Blessings,

~redeemed~

I woke up this morning unable to sleep, heavy-hearted and nauseous but not knowing why. (And before you ask, I'm not pregant!)

For some reason Good Friday is not really acknowledged too much in our denomination, so it's been easy to put the thought away in years past.  Just keep busy and the day disappears.  Before you know it, it's Sunday and it's celebration time! 

Some celebrate with baskets of candy and eggs delivered by the Easter Bunny (I haven't figured this one out yet!  Did they miss science class?), others celebrate by going to church then having a  family dinner (which is how we'll celebrate), and still others don't celebrate anything. But in all of the celebrations, will we remember the suffering?

This morning after waking and studying the Book of John, as I have been since September, when I thought of what today represents, I felt sick.  Sick at the thought that 2010 years ago, My sin nailed Christ to the cross.  Sins I hadn't committed yet, but sins that He knew I would. When I think of the soldiers and officials yelling at Him and spitting in His face, I see me doing the same to Him.  When I think of the person who actually drove the nails in, I cringe because I know it could have been me.  Not literally, but with my actions, doubts and denial at times.

I'm thankful today that I am a believer in Jesus Christ and my sins are forgiven.  Thankful that Christ suffered for me, and thankful that, as I heard someone say once, "Sunday's comin'"!  Three days after He gave up His spirit, He conquered death and rose from the grave.


As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "                                                                                                                     Mark 16:5-7


Are you so sorry for the sins of the past that you purpose to not get sucked in by them again?  Or do you say, "It's not that bad!" or "I'll do better later" without true repentance?


Think on what Christ did more than 2000 years ago for YOU  but don't let it get you down, because Sunday's comin'!
Blessings,

~wake up call~

I've been pondering lately on something that happened last week.  I have been struggling with busyness and how to prune activities from our lives without throwing them all out and starting new - which, personally is my favorite option ;-)  A life in the ministry is not a quiet, peaceful life.  It's very busy, but I love our ministry!

Glen was in Washington D.C. last week on a business trip and it seemed like everything had to be done while he was away.  Grayson's best friend was moving to Arkansas and she wanted to give her a party, so I let her (and I'm very glad I did - at 12 years old, it's a BIG DEAL when your best friend moves), a woman from church was having surgery and I wanted to - and needed to be there, basketball practice, filling in for Glen during bible study, my week to teach at homeschool co-op....I began to feel overwhelmed - quickly.

Thursday afternoon, Grayson and Riley wanted to take their friends, who were moving, to the YMCA with them.  I dropped them off at the Y, headed over to help their mom do a little packing (not much, really), then went to the Y and picked them up, dropped Grayson off at home to get ready for her basketball practice and took their friends home.  After I dropped them off, Riley and I were headed home to get Grayson and off to practice.  We had 15 minutes to get there!  We rounded the corner after leaving their street and a very small, bent over elderly lady was rolling her very large garbage can down her driveway.  Riley said, "Mom, pull over so I can help her!" and before I knew it, words were out of my mouth that I couldn't take back.  "Don't you know we're in a hurry?    W  e    d  o  n  '  t    h  a  v  e    t  i  m  e    t  o    h  e  l  p    h  e  r  !  !  !"  As soon as I said it, I pulled the car over to the side of the road.  What kind of mom am I?  Isn't this why we homeschool, to spend time teaching the ways of Christ?  Too busy to help?  Really?

While Riley got out and helped the lady with her garbage, I prayed for forgiveness.  "Oh God, what am I doing?  Thank you for grabbing a hold of me with the words of my son."

By the way, we were only 2 minutes late for basketball practice.  We've been later than that with no excuse before!  Riley isn't just the "baby" anymore.  I'm going to purpose to really listen to him from now on.  Apparently he's learning how to do the right thing from someone ;-)

This week has once again been a busy one, but with purpose.  I'm trying to prioritize and pray over activities.

Thank you Lord for my busy life, and for kids who will speak up to even me about doing the right thing.

Blessings,

~babies~

Grayson and I returned Thursday night from a 6-day mission trip to West Virginia.  We went to a federal women's prison birthing center, where women go to serve up to 18 months of their sentence so they can spend time with their child.  I must say God changed my perception of many things while we were gone.

I thought I had no preconceived notions regarding these women.  They were felons- all related to drugs- but I knew in my heart that God had saved me from situations as bad or worse.  We all need forgiveness and someone to show us the love of Christ.  Honestly, I did  believe that before I met them.

After spending the first day with them, talking and trying to get to know them, I could see how easy it might be to get caught up in that lifestyle.  Each one had a different story, but each one was similar.  I realized I did prejudge!  In my heart I had assumed they were not good moms - that somehow I was doing something really good by spending time with these babies.  Even going so far as to think "if I could just bring them home with me, things would be okay"!  God quickly showed me that I'm no better than these women - only different now because of Him.  Some of these women have actually been saved since coming to the birthing center, and some grew up in Christian homes, but went astray for a while.  Only God knows what we need to go through to turn to Him.  If you knew some of the things He's had to bring me through, you would cringe!

I realized the biggest need was friendship.  They are friends with eachother, but like sisters sharing the same space, in need of outside friends.  Most have families that support them, but they live so far away, they can't see them often.  Most also have older children at home they are away from.  I have 16 new friends!

I really enjoyed the late night talks with Grayson about life and how Satan makes things look good at first, then we get tangled up in sin.  She's twelve now, so she's really got her own thoughts and opinions on things and I'm so proud of how God used her on this trip.  This was definitely and eye-opening experience.  Mostly God opened my eyes regarding myself...

I was in prison and you visited me...Matthew 25:36

Blessings,