Fast of Gedaliah

Rosh Hashanah is over and we have enjoyed our feasting. Today is the Fast of Gedaliah.

From Chabad.org:
"Tishrei 3rd is a fast day mourning the assassination of the Jewish royal Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the Land of Israel for a short period following the destruction of the First Temple. Gedaliah's killing spelled the end of the small remnant of a Jewish community that remained in the Holy Land after the destruction, which fled to Egypt. (According to many opinions, the assassination of Gedaliah actually occurred on Rosh Hashanah, but the commemoration of the event is postponed to the day after the festival)."

Today we fast from sunrise to sunset to mourn the end of Jewish occupation of the Holy Land even though there are once again Jews living in the Holy Land.

This is our history. The history of our family. I want my children to be a part of this. To take hold of that history as their own. To be proud of it and of who they are. I want them to feel a part of the community. Of this family that stretches around the globe and comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. I want them to be grounded in the past as they step forward into their futures.

So, today we fast.

Licensed

I got a call yesterday that we were licensed for foster care and we received our license in the mail today. We are so excited to be able to serve the Lord in this way! We do hope to adopt at some point in time but plan to continue doing foster care even after we adopt.

Autumn Arriving

The morning air has a crispness to it and the afternoon sun isn't oppressive. Autumn is arriving!This is my favorite season, followed by spring, then winter, and finally summer.

I love going to football games, snuggling under blankets, eating chili and cornbread. I love to watch the leaves on the trees that surround us here in Appalachia become brilliant with color. At their peak we are surrounded by a rainbow of color. I enjoy the crisp morning air and the crunch of leaves under my feet. I enjoy scrubbing the house and getting ready to "hibernate" for the winter, sitting around a fire ring and chatting while the children burn up a whole bag of marshmallows, curling up in my favorite chair with an afghan to crochet or a good book to read.

Autumn also means back-to-school and new books to read and discuss together. Lesson plans to write, compositions to read, and math papers to grade. Time to watch my children as they learn and make connections with their world and everyone and everything in it. Time to listen as they excitedly relate what is going on their favorite book. Time to discuss with them and hear their thoughts on what is going on in our home and in our world. Time to hear their ideas and plans for the future. Time to dream with them and be silly with them.

Autumn will come again next year but this time with my children is something that can never be replaced or done over again. My wish and prayer for every homeschooler, every parent, is that this autumn will be spent enjoying your children for you will never have another opportunity to spend this day with them.

New Year

We actually started our school year early this year since we are planning to start building a new house this fall.

The children do most of their schoolwork together since they are close together in age. This year we are covering the following:
American Government
American Literature
Chemistry
Christian Doctrine
Algebra 2
Computers

I like having the children work together at this age so that they can discuss their work with one another. It's difficult to discuss a literary selections if Mom is the only one with whom you can discuss it.

When we started homeschooling the children did almost everything together. That caused a lot of competition and hard feelings between the two for a while. So, we separated them and had each of them working on completely different things. Now, that they are older there isn't that same competition and they enjoy talking about books (as well as other things) together. We wanted them to have the opportunity to do as much as possible together before they are grown up and on their own. We hope they are building memories and a closeness with one another that will last them the rest of their lives.

Wordless Wednesday

What are the things that spell H-O-M-E to you?

Mrs. Anna at Domestic Felicity blogged on this topic this morning and I was inspired to do the same.

To me it's the clink of dishes as our family shares a meal together

waking up to Bibles piled on the table from our family reading time

the sound of chatting, laughing children working together in the kitchen or barn

sitting around the table to play a board game and just enjoy one another

curling up in my favorite chair with the puppy or a cat snuggled in beside me while I crochet

stretching out on the couch with a good book

sharing a late night bowl of ice cream with my daughter when she comes home from babysitting a friend's children

the shouts of my son as he and his daddy get too "into" their game

watching the first flowers of spring opening in the yard

the sound of the puppy barking at the cat who is too regal to stoop to playing with a dog!

folding warm towels that have just been pulled from the dryer

math books, science experiments, and pencils strewn around the entire house

ragtime, or My Favorite Things played on the piano

Simply being with and enjoying each and every member of my family and making memories together.

Getting "Ahead"

 In School:
We have started doing a 6-day week in our homeschool in the hopes that we won't be so far "behind" once we have finished building our house. The children will, hopefully, be able to help with the construction but we will lose two days a week of school time during construction. (Due to Daniel's schedule we take one weekday off school each week as that is his only day off each week.) We started school earlier than normal this year to give us a little leeway as well. But, I am one of those people who hates to feel "behind". "Behind" being relative to where I want to be at a given time during the school year.

In Our House:
Daniel called from work today and wanted me to call the 911 office and see if they could give me an address for the lot we are buying in a subdivision that doesn't exist yet so we can call around and get home owner's insurance estimates. The insurance companies can't give me a quote without an address and we can't get an address until there's a street. So, I spent 15 minutes on the phone with a very helpful gentleman who couldn't tell me anything.

Why?
Why do we feel the need to be "ahead" of the game? Why are we not content to wait patiently on the Lord's timing? We believe we are following His leading in each of these areas so why is it that we don't put all our trust in Him, knowing that He works everything for our good?  This is one of the biggest things with which I struggle in my life. I feel that I need to try to take control but, if I stop and think about it, if I was in control the outcome wouldn't be nearly as good as what God has planned for me!

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ” (Philippians 4:6 & 7).

In the Peace of God:
"Be careful for nothing" - it's been a long time since I could say I was careful for nothing. But, I love what is says in verse 7 - "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,". Isn't that beautiful? I remember that peace. It's the peace that we experienced when we were traveling to Mexico to get a tubal reversal. We felt His peace and His presence throughout that entire trip! It was completely awe-inspiring.

If I am following where He leads then I can be "careful for nothing" and rest in "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

My goal for today is to stop trying to get ahead of God and simply trust in Him and rest in His peace.