Volleyball

Our daughter has never played volleyball before, but she decided to try out for the middle school team for fun since most of her friends who had played before were trying out as well.  Volleyball is a sport for tall girls with long arms, but she still made the blue team thanks to her strong work ethic and body control learned through long hours at gymnastics practices.  I am so thankful for this awesome volleyball team and for their highly gifted and very generous coach who coaches professionally but is offering her time to our girls for free.  She is also a professional photographer, so I love it when she shares photos with the moms on our team website.  A few of her pics are shown below.  She even made cross bracelets for each of the girl to remind them that they are to play for the Lord and His glory, not themselves.

Our little girl, whose mantra as the smallest one of the team is "Tiny but mighty", loves the team and has decided to give up competitive gymnastics which she loves so much so that she can play three sports (assuming she makes those teams as well) for her school with her friends.  Her first game was an away game against a charter school in a neighboring county comprised of mostly 8th graders who were much taller than this mostly 6th grade team, but they only lost by two points.  Tomorrow is their first home game, so her brother and I will be there cheering loudly.

Recent Snippets

Our daughter is usually the silly practical joker in the family, but she showed her contemplative side when she prayed that we would all be willing to die to reach the lost.  I'm amazed that our drama queen can be so serious and reflective at times.  I'm not sure her little brother has reached that point in his Christian commitment, however, and wishes she would pray individually instead of collectively. 

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While texting about a job description I posted for a STEM teacher assistant, the applicant tried to write "assistant's job description", but auto-correct changed "assistant" into "assailant". So, when should I expect the NSA to show up at my door about my questionable hiring activities?


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Just a random rainbow one day last week

This past Saturday, our son tested for his purple belt.  Next up is the red belt, which takes at least four months to earn, followed by red/black and then first degree black belt.  He is over half way to his goal and should be a black belt by next summer.

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Our life class has a yearly tradition of going to a large picnic/playground area and pool area at a subdivision for horse owners on the Saturday before traditional schools start, so we went this past Saturday after belt testing.  It's a gorgeous setting and large enough for all 100+ of us.  We had fun as always, and I enjoyed watching our daughter spend most of her time with Zoe, her buddy from Access Ministry.

  The food was fabulous as always, especially the Paula Dean chocolate brownie bars.

 

All the kids were cute as can be.

A few kids got stung by wasps, so brave Mr. Chad killed the nest and all the wasps with a simple can of Off and his bare hands.

 The kids loved the dad's annual splash contest.

The kids had a great time swimming with their dads, while the moms gabbed.

Celebration Sunday

This past weekend was Celebration Sunday at our church.  That's city talk for "Church Homecoming".  The communications team prepared two awesome videos for the three morning worship services including some awesome aerial video taken with a drone to recap highlights from the past year.  At the end of the service, the pastoral team challenged members to think about how God has worked through our church family to bless them this past year and to write what they were thankful for on the chalkboards.  To illustrate, they showed a video in which church members shared stories about what they appreciated from the previous year at our church.   Our 11-year-old was chosen to represent the children's ministry and to talk about the Agape service ministry in which 5th graders weekly serve as helpers, hosts, greeters, etc.between each service.  But when the video crew arrived at our home, she wanted to talk instead about her participation in Access ministry, a ministry for those with special needs to help them integrate with the rest of the church family in life classes, worship, Bible study, and fellowship.   

I previously had no idea how much work goes into these videos.  Our daughter is featured in less than a minute of this video, yet we had to schedule three different filming sessions at three different locations, and I still have no idea how much time was invested preparing for the sessions and editing.

At the chalkboard session filmed in our church lobby on a Tuesday morning, my 8-year-old saw people working and hustling everywhere and said, "Wow! I had no idea how much work our church team does throughout the week!" We are so thankful for a ministry team that goes to great lengths to communicate in such creative ways so that we can most readily receive the message.

Filming session at our house

I left the room during the filming session at our home so as not to make my daughter nervous and had no idea what she said until the video was released. What a blessing it is to have a church family you can count on to reach out, reach in, and always love. I love all these stories and have experienced a taste of each.

Thank you, church family, for modeling Christlike love, for nurturing the seeds of faith in our children's hearts, and for giving my daughter and other youth the opportunity to serve others, for you are growing in them a heart of compassion. And thank you for allowing our daughter to participate in a video that made her daddy cry.

Warning:  Mommy Pride Moment
Zoe's mom shared this video on her Facebook page and someone we don't know commented, "So beautiful! Tears and I don't even know any of the people but the little girl who was helping with Zoe...WOAH!!! I hope my kids have half the heart she does!"

Sometimes I can be really hard on that girl, but may I never forget what a beautiful heart of compassion God is growing in her.  Her compassion is greater than any of the rest of us have in this family, so we need her influence.

I'm so glad the video included a story about college students reaching out, for we had just been to my college alma mater earlier that morning to pick up three freshman who had just moved in and brought them with us to church.  I so hoped those first year students seated next to me would love the church and want to come back.  Pictured below with me is one of the students who came with us. 

She is the daughter of one of my best friends from college.  I met her mom at the beginning of my freshman year where we both lived in the Scholar's dorm.  We both got involved in IVCF and this same college ministry at this same church. I told her to invite two more people to fill up the van, and so she did.  Sara and Allison joined us. Being with this young lady who talks, thinks, and acts just like her mama was the most wonderful deja-vu, for it reminded me of God's faithfulness.  I felt like I was 18, and that she was her mom.  The other two freshmen, Sara and Allison, reminded me so much of two of our other closest friends our freshmen year, Christa and Tricia.  I had to pinch myself to remember that the year is 2015, and that I am no longer a college student. All three loved the church and want to come back next week.  YAY!  (And I am finally seeing why we needed a van!)

Our daughter was one of six students chosen to serve as a hostess at our celebration social after the evening service.  I love the way she so enjoys serving others.

Drone image of our social in the courtyard

Back to School

Our two-month summer break has come to an end and the kids and I are back at school again.  I thought my daughter would get all freaky and anxious about starting middle school, while I had been taking it all in stride, knowing each phase of parenting has a unique set of pros and cons. But a week before school began, all she could talk about it was how excited she was to be getting a locker, while I behaved more like a freaky, erratic adolescent even threatening to pull her out and homeschool her when I learned that the teacher I have heard horror stories about would not only be teaching her two subjects, but four.  But I don't suppose 6th grade is a great experience anywhere.  She's been super excited though, and even wrote "Rising 6th Grader" on our driveway and in large letters with chalk.  If only all the concerns she will ever face in life could be remedied with something as simple as a new locker, but I know I need not worry, for she knows the Prince of Peace, and He calls her by name.

Back to School Day, Middle School Orientation, and Family Festival

At least our son got the teaching team we wanted most.  He absolutely loves his class which he shares with some of his favorite friends and his teachers.  School bored him silly in the past because it is so easy and slow (which is the case for many other students and explains why enrollment is down 35% in the Grammar schools), but I guess having friends suffering through the monotony with you helps.  I'm still not at peace with the curricula or teaching methodology and continue to push for changes even while being amazed by the leadership skills, Biblical knowledge, and strong character of the high schoolers.

First Full Day of School

School started on Thursday, and the school PTA hosted a family festival Friday evening.  The dunk tank is my favorite tradition as students take turns dunking the principals, headmaster and favorite coaches and teachers. My introverted, quiet, teachable, self-motivated, mama's boy was the ideal homeschool student, and he and I both struggled with the decision to send him to school. So what a blessing it was that night to see him having a blast with his friend and then hear him say to me, "Mom, I'm SO EXCITED about my school. I love it here."

As we walked through the halls that first week, I noticed some of the kids' artwork on display from last year.

His

Hers

The back to school rush was crazy as ever.  School supply lists alone involved shopping at four different stores and some on-line orders. We tried to order the middle school uniforms and athletic uniforms and bigger pants for my son from the annual consignment sale, but my husband was in the hospital during the sale, so I hired a shopper who bought all the wrong sizes.  So I paid full price at the uniform store only to discover on the first day of school that my son's new pants were too short already and that our  daughter needed more shoes and gear for volleyball.  Try-outs ran for three consecutive days and at least twelve girls had to be cut or go to an exhibition white team who would not get to play any actual games.  Our girl had never played volleyball before, but her athleticism gained through 12-16 hours a week of gymnastics served her well and she made the team.

Photos from the family festival posted on the school's Facebook page. That's our girl in orange and her pals at the top!

That first week of school was so chaotic that I rushed too quickly and learned (again) a valuable lesson. On those days when everything goes wrong or takes too long, and it seems you can't possibly get done all that needs to be done that day, I don't recommend using a knife that is much too sharp to chop up food for dinner that will be served much too late because you just might slice your finger right after all the urgent care centers nearby have closed. Then you'll realize you suddenly have plenty of time to drive to another city for treatment.

In the stillness of the waiting room and in the midst of cracking jokes with the medical team, I realized just how unimportant all that STUFF was that had me rushing too fast and feeling frustrated. It was just a minor mishap, but how many times does this stubborn girl have to learn this lesson the hard way? ‪#‎SavorLife‬ ‪#‎SlowDown‬ ‪#‎Perspective‬

Mighty Moms

I've always wanted to train other women in health and fitness but never pursued that dream because of the corruption, immodesty, narcissism, and obsession with outward appearance vs. substance so common in the fitness industry. Thanks to the encouragement of a friend and the support of our kids' school, I now have the opportunity to share a word from the Scriptures and pray with other moms while developing efficient training programs and working right beside them to help them achieve their fitness goals so they can be healthier and stronger for their families and their ministries. These moms will not boast or show off their progress in skanky clothing, for we discipline our bodies to win the prize that lasts forever and strive to do all things for His glory, not our own. (Philippians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, Colossians 3:23)

I had the great privilege of bumping into a tough and athletic graduate of our school this week while I was taking inventory in the weight room for our Mighty Moms fitness class. "Will the moms really be lifting weights?" he asked.

Lest anyone doubt the underlying power and strength of a mighty mom, perhaps I should share our fight song: (sung to the tune of the Mighty Mouse theme song)

Flab and weakness never hang around,
When they hear this mighty sound,

“Here we come to save the day!”

That means the Mighty Moms …are on the way!

Yes, sir, moms must stand for truth and light.

So they build more power, speed, and might!

In the home or in the van,

They’re strong and healthy, resting in God’s plan.

We know that when there’s danger, we'll never despair;

Because we know when trials come, Moms are there.

In the church…at the school...anywhere!

We're not worrying at all.

We’re just listening for their call.

"Here we come to save the day!"

That means the Mighty Moms are on the way.

When there is a wrong to right,

Mighty Moms will join the fight!

"Here they come to save the day!"

That means that Mighty Moms are on the way!

‪#‎GoofyGirl‬ ‪#‎CornyCoach‬ ‪#‎strongisthenewskinny‬ ‪#‎IBelieveInYouLadies‬ ‪#‎MomsAreSuperHeroes‬

STEM
In addition to facilitating the Mighty Moms Muscle and Movement class for fun, I am facilitating and new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program at our kids' school and at a large homeschooling institute at a fabulous campground 35 minutes away.  I initially expected to have one small class of students at each location.  Now I have two large classes at each location and a waiting list!

I felt so called to work with seniors last year and saw fruit come out of my efforts to disciple and equip those students for the unsheltered world of college life, and I had put so much time and effort into writing the curriculum from scratch with the expectation that I could reuse it for years that it was quite a blow to lose that position when all the part-time positions got moved to full-time staff due to low enrollment in the lower grades for the reasons I've already mentioned.

Yet, as I see the STEM program growing and being used by the administration to show leaving or prospective families that classical schools due care about enriching students in this area, I see it all unfolding as part of God's plan. STEM has consumed so much of my time already that I never could have handled teaching 12th grade math and the STEM programs this coming year.  Yes, sometimes God must prune ministries from our lives that we absolutely love so that He can grow our sphere of influence in new, exciting, and unexpected ways. When that happens, we absolutely must cling to Jesus because if we ever let go of the vine, we will wither and die, bringing everyone else down with us. (John 15:4-6)

The STEM program doesn't even begin until August 31, but I've stayed so busy with all the registrations and logistics of finding another classroom, figuring out ways to accommodate more students by offering more classes, and hiring teacher assistants.

Substitute Teaching
I am also on the high school substitute teacher list and for whatever reason, I am the first person teachers have been calling.  So this past week, I've been subbing for the theology and apologetics teacher and dean of House and next week I'll sub for the "My Body: God's Masterpiece" course and study hall.  While I have studied both theology and apologetics previously, their teacher (an ordained minister, bi-vocational pastor, and seminary graduate with multiple degrees) has a mind on a plane far higher than mine, so I've done a lot of reading and studying this past week to prepare for the classes.  I've also been able to use a few of my engineering and project management skills as I have helped the students kick off their Trinity Monolith projects which will result in three large artistic sculptures representing the Holy Trinity being displayed at various locations across our town. I was impressed as I watched them take charge and lead with respect, courtesy, and dependence upon God. 

Some of my favorite quotes from my theology and apologetics studies this week are listed below:

"Christ’s people are to be active in the 'renewing of [the] mind,' for 'as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he' (Romans 12:1– Proverbs 23:7; Matthew 15:10–20). There is a necessary distinction between thinking and action, but if activism happens without an adequate foundation of thinking, then our activism will be separated from the gospel and from the demands of Christ on our lives....The knowledge crisis is that people don't know if they can know anything. The real knowledge crisis is not merely what people do not know; it is also what they will not know. It is a disposition of the will."- Albert Mohler

While the following Bible passage isn't a favorite because it describes God's judgment, the message about how the fall of man and generational sin has corrupted the minds of "homo-sapiens" (a term which ironically means "wise thinking creatures") is sadly an accurate description of modern America, particularly with regard to the legalization of gay marriage and the refusal of the left to even watch the videos that expose the barbaric actions of Planned Parenthood, much less prosecute them or even withhold federal funding from them.

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.  (Romans 1: 18-32)

One of our objectives for this week's apologetics class could be summed up with this quote from John Piper:

 "The main positive aim is that you will embrace serious thinking as a way of loving God and people—that through the awakening and sharpening of your thinking, you will love God and love people more deeply and more fully and more unshakably."

John Piper reminds us that when trying to think deeply and rightly, our first focus should be the cross of Christ.

"The human wisdom that cannot know God—the human thinking that cannot fathom the cross—is self-exalting wisdom, man-centered wisdom, sin-denying wisdom....True wisdom sees the glory of God in the cross. False wisdom sees the cross as foolishness because it threatens our pride. There is no other object of knowledge in the universe that exposes proud, man-exalting thinking like the cross does. Only humble, Christ-exalting thinking can survive in the presence of the cross." - John Piper

Francis Chan once shared the following list of questions he asks himself before he prepares to teach or speak. Whether you are a teacher by vocation, ministry calling, parental obligation, and/or mentoring relationships, perhaps you will find this list as helpful as I did.

(1) Am I worried about what people think of my message or what God thinks? (Teach with fear.)
(2) Do I genuinely love these people? (Teach with love.)
(3) Am I accurately presenting this passage? (Teach with accuracy.)
(4) Am I depending on the Holy Spirit’s power or my own cleverness? (Teach with power.)
(5) Have I applied this message to my own life? (Teach with integrity.)
(6) Will this message draw attention to me or to God? (Teach with humility.)
(7) Do the people really need this message? (Teach with urgency.)

Parenting & Home Updates

My precious 6th grader asked me to get up extra early each morning to study Bible passages she selects together...just us girls...in addition to what her father and I have each been doing with both kids already. We began this past Sunday morning, and imagine my alarm when she turned to Song of Songs, a sensual love story between a young bride and her groom (which is also an allegory of the Lord's immense love for His bride, the church).

She read, "You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." (Song of Songs 4:7) As we talked, she realized that even if we focus on just one small aspect of ourselves that we don't like and then beat ourselves up over that perceived flaw, we are essentially telling God His design wasn't good enough and are rejecting the truth of His word.

It is not prideful to acknowledge that all of God's creation is beautiful, wonderful, and marvelously made. It is prideful, however, to consider yourself better than another or to criticize yourself as a way of fishing for compliments. But to loathe yourself, refusing to believe that you are altogether lovely, is rebellion.
 After reading Song of Songs 4:7 that morning with my daughter and discussing how we must see ourselves as God sees us, it seems fitting that we would finally complete the mirror refinishing project for her room that same day. Now all 10 pieces from my childhood room have been transformed from antique white (turned yellow with time) and brass to bright white and pewter.

While I absolutely believe women should never serve in combat, I am convinced that any mom who has traversed through her son's room barefooted as often I have could navigate through a minefield like a pro.

I love to hear my children pray. Tonight at dinner, our son prayed, "Dear Lord, please help Dad to have as much fun as one can possibly have at a board meeting tonight."

Critter Updates

I know cats are supposed to be carnivores and rabbits are supposed to be vegetarians, but for dinner recently, Orwell ate Muffin's organic spring mix salad, while Muffin ate Orwell's bacon & chicken cat food. I guess the laws of nature don't apply when curious pets want to irritate each other.

I'm still not sure those two critters like each other all that much.  Now that Orwell is 50% bigger than Muffin, he likes to body slam Muffin, and that just isn't her thing. Orwell has gotten so aggressive that when I walked into Muffin's room and saw Orwell in Muffin's cage with a guilty look on his face and no sign of Muffin, I initially panicked.

Muffin has calmed down quite a bit and is now my favorite pet at least when her bottom doesn't sound smell like sewage.  She's using the litter box more consistently now and has stopped peeing on the sofa.  I think the enzymatic cleaner helped, or maybe her hormones have just leveled out again. She is quite the productivity killer, though.  She's our soft and cuddly critter.

Orwell has finally stopped tearing up on our nice rugs now that I've put packing tape on all the corners (it looks so lovely for our guests - NOT!), although they'll never look nice again. :(  Orwell also ruined our sofa with his claws even when we put his scratching post right beside the sofa.  He also put a few rips in our very new 100% leather recliner.  That cat should have his claws removed, my husband insists that would be inhumane.  So, after spending the first 18 months decorating our new home exactly like we wanted it, our home now looks very distressed and has a new 5 foot tacky cat tree in the middle of the family area.  It seems to be distracting Orwell from the sofa and from perching on the coffee table in front of the window, but it is quite the eyesore. He sleeps on the top perch (or on the bed in the master bedroom) and loves to watch the birds in our 8-room bird hotel.



That bird house has contained several different nests at any given time this past summer.

Since Orwell has been such a costly addition to our family, we are now making him work for a living. He is our new product tester for our family golf business.  He has really enjoyed sharpening his mice catching skills by poking his arms into the holes of that box and trying to catch golf balls.

Mother Daughter Summer Retreat

Our Princess and the Kiss Bible study group through the kids' school gathered together for a mother/daughter retreat this weekend.  We began with a pool party and pizza at a member's parents' home nestled in the country next to a beautiful vineyard.

Then we walked and/or drove to her fully renovated farm house for Bible study, volleyball, and Smores out under a blue moon.  The lesson was on submission and sparked a wonderful conversation with the girls and even richer discussion afterwards between the moms.

Most of the mother/daughter pairs camped out in the lovely farm house for the night. 

The girls stayed up too late, but they were up bright and early for the sunrise.  Sorry, folks, but I have no pictures of the sunrise given that I rolled out of bed just in time for breakfast. And what a wonderful breakfast is was.  Our hostess is a broker of all natural, organic, super healthy foods which we combined with lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, muffins, and warm beverages.  It was a beautiful, mild summer morning with such a tranquil setting out on the porch.

Then the girls completed an art project, led by a professional artist who sold two paintings at her gallery the night before.  They used water color paints and scrapbook paper to illustrate scripture related to our lessons that weekend.

3 "Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; 

for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall" (Isaiah 25:3-4)

I taught the lesson that morning on feelings following a lengthy discussion between the moms regarding the upside state of the world we are giving their generation in which feelings trump truth. We challenged the girls to make choices based on God's truth instead of on ever-changing, often deceiving, volatile emotions which beat us up like the waves of the ocean (James 1:6).  With God's truth as your anchor, the waves of the world will not move or upset you.  I shared more about our lesson here.   

When we returned home, my daughter asked me to get up early with her each morning for Bible study together before school.  Wow!  What a privilege to have her ask.  What a challenge it will be to get up early, but I must for that privilege.