Fill in the Blank

I want to try something out...an opportunity for input.  I'll give you a sentence to complete and you finish it off in the comments section.  This first one is for the homeschoolers out there because I want to hear your funny stories, too.

So, here it goes.  Think Jeff Foxworthy as you read this...

"You might be a homeschooler..."

To get things started, here's my contribution.  If you wake your 7 year old at 8:40 on a school day and she says, "I wish I didn't have to get up so early.", you might be a homeschooler.

Our Busy Life

Somehow I have become the homeschooler who never seems to stay at home.  We have always been so careful about how many outside activities we join.  Our kids don't even join sport teams.  But somehow this year I have taken on far much more than normal.  We have AWANA and children's "choir" at church, American Heritage Girls, a homeschool support group, a co-op, small group through church and a social skills group.  Our oldest also has physical and occupational therapy at this point to help with some of his autism symptoms.

I guess it's no wonder our house always looks as if an explosion has occurred since we only seem to use it lately as a place to stop over and lay our heads.  Oddly enough, though, I'm really not complaining.  I'm even kind of enjoying this season of involvement and busyness.

But, if you happen to think of me, please say a prayer that eventually I will learn how to balance things out better so that we can be busy and not have the house that looks like a Lego factory exploded.  My husband will thank you for it.

Big or Little Purposes

One thing I have been pondering over the past few weeks or months (or perhaps my entire adult life) is purpose.  What is my purpose?  When will I achieve my purpose?  And the list of questions goes on and on...

I often want some grandiose purpose.   Something big, something that changes the lives of people I may not have even met.  Why does that seem so important to me?  What is the draw of grandiosity?

What if my "only" purpose in life is to support the work of others?  What if my purpose is to train up my children to either do great things, or more probably to also support the work of others.  What am I missing out on by always looking for something more and different?  I am missing out on opportunities to encourage my husband and children, to be a blessing to the people around me, to offer assistance and prayer to my family, friends and neighbors.

I need to be willing to press on, to see God's glory in the little things and to bring Him glory through those little things.  I need to be faithful in serving, praying and encouraging and to realize and always remember that these are important to God.  Even though I may not see the "grandiose" purpose in them, these little things are the details in the great portrait God is painting, and they are important, and they are beautiful.  But sometimes I forget this or I don't chose to focus on it.  But I'm really thankful that He keeps drawing me back to this question, and He continues to show me that I am important to Him.

Help me Lord, to live each day with a focus on you.  Help me to press on, and to run the race You have set before me, not wishing for the race that has been set before someone else.  Help me to walk in the good deeds You have prepared for me.  Help me to focus on being the best wife, mother and friend I can be and trust You to use these "details" toward creating a beautiful portrait.

Fund Raiser Recant (sort of)

This is the promised semi-recant of a post I made several weeks ago regarding fund raisers...however, in my defense, you may remember that my initial post was about school fund raisers.  But, to be honest, I'm sort of a fund raiser grinch, at least those that involve sales of things I don't really need or want.  Often I'd rather make a smaller contribution but have the organization receive 100% of what I spend rather than have something else cluttering my house...especially since we have already established my housekeeping skills are not to be envied.

But, I have now come to the other side of the whole fund raiser experience, and my struggle with my former self begins.  My daughter has just become a fund raiser for her American Heritage Girls troop.  I knew it was coming, and I went in prepared, or so I thought.  I was prepared to do the "buy out" option I felt certain would be offered.  We write a check and we don't have to do any real fund raising.  It's easy, it's quick and it's painless.  It's over in a minute...

But then it began.  My daughter saw the glossy sales folder, and her eyes began to sparkle.  She heard she could finally get a chance to sell something.  She has been itching to sell something (anything) to the people around her.  She found out that she can earn a patch, and she turned to me with a huge smile and nodding her head.  And suddenly, even if it had been offered, I knew there was no buy out option in our home.  Because my daughter had completely and totally bought in to the idea of fund raising.

I am surprised by her enthusiasm, but am impressed by how well she is handling herself.  She has practiced things to say to her potential victims customers, she is taking responsibility for calling her relatives, and we have discussed the mature and appropriate manner with which to handle someone saying "no thank you" when she approaches them about making a purchase.  She even handled herself so well when practicing with me that I fell victim to her sweetness and maturity, and thusfar, I am her top purchasing customer.

So, anyone wanna buy a candle?

It Expired WHEN?

Well, I've always known that my housekeeping/organizing skills are not what others possess.  I try to keep my eye on the positive and know that I am creative, and "creativity ain't always pretty."  However, today I made a discovery that took me by surprise.  I found out that soap has an expiration date...at least anti-bacterial soap does.  Maybe it's just the antibacterial part that loses it's fight and the soap itself still cleans hands and other surfaces quite nicely.

So, how exactly did I find out that it expires?  I came upon a large jug of Walmart brand antibacterial soap in our closet and happened to see that it expired...and it's not just a little expired.  It expired 7 years ago!!!  How is this possible, especially for a military family?   It has survived 2 moves, made it through Hurricane Katrina and probably has lots of stories it could tell if it only could talk.  And if it EXPIRED 7 years ago, we probably actually bought it a couple years before that.  This bottle of soap may be older than our oldest child.  And yet it still pours quite nicely.  So, if you are looking for a long lasting liquid soap that doesn't congeal, I can (quite by accident) recommend the Walmart brand of anti-bacterial soap ;-)