Looky Here….

Two blogs in a row.  Remarkable, I know.

Wee morning hour reading is brought on by…

My lack of tiredness and inability to get shut eye.

The snoring giant yonder lies…

I climb out of bed with heartfelt sighs.

Not because of the noise am I still awake.

Too many thoughts in this brain to take.

There’s a sleeping bag zipper to be repaired,

Highlights needed to not be gray haired.

Pounds to be lost, and scriptures studied.

Meals to be thought up from a mind too muddied.

Stories in my soul crying out to be written.

Waiting hands, orphans and hearts to be smitten.

The darkness prevents watercolor escape.

Gresham ended tonight closing the drape.

Not often is my night’s journey cut short.

Even lesser is poetry used for sport.

Prayers for all my readers near and afar.

May God bless you and free you from this memoir.

It’s TRUE!

That ago old adage that I’ve heard since birth uttered from parents, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you” IS TRUE!  Be warned.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.  Parenting is not easy, but it is worth it 27 gazillion times more than the pain it brings.  Yesterday was the first time I lived through “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you” from the parenting side of the equation.  Details need to be kept to a minimum, but a HUGE decision was made by my husband and myself that not only affects one of our children, but is one of those examples to all of our children who will remember forever, “When mom and dad ask you to do something… they mean it.”

I think I cried more than the child did.  My husband called a couple of times throughout the day and asked, “How are you doing?” not how is the child doing.  The child will be fine… and stronger for it, we hope.  I was a mess.  I always want to be known as the dream builder, not the dream crusher…. but sometimes when we see discrepancies between what we have taught and how the child is behaving…. dreams have to be put on hold.  We have to go in reverse for a bit and re-learn a few character issues that were obviously taken too lightly.  Delay is not denial… I learned that from my baby sister.  It applies here.  Delay is also dumb when we are not getting our own way… which leads us back to character issues AGAIN.

This reminds me of when my mother, in a flustered and frustrated situation, would tell us, “Go to your room and holds hands with yourself.”  When I became a mother, I completely understood the meaning of that.  I changed it up a bit for the next generation and have been known to relay loudly, “Go to your room and pray to Jesus that He makes you nice.  And don’t come out until He does.”  It’s all good.

It’s all about character.  How you behave when no one is watching is KEY.  Priorities are KEY. Being obedient is KEY.  Not just for our kids, but for all of us.  Blessing follows obedience…. every stinkin’ time.  God is so good.

 

Guess Who’s Going off to College????

Yes, this is the same baby girl who was squeezing her arm in the photo two blogs ago.  In the last week Larisa was accepted at the college of her choice, passed the requirements to qualify for a scholarship, was nominated for the scholarship and is flying out in two weeks to interview for the very same scholarship.  Since conception we have told her that God blesses obedience and this is one more example of Him taking care of all the details…. following years of obedience on her part.  It does a mother’s heart good. 

Yes, she has been by my side homeschooling for 11 years.  Yes, it will leave a HUGE hole in our home when she goes away.  Yes, I am proud of her.  Yes, I want to keep her here tight with me.  Yes, I want her to go and have fun at college and pursue her dreams.  Yes, I want her to live at home forever.  Ok, that last one wasn’t entirely true, but you get the picture.

You know the old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  I disagree.  If it’s God’s basket, you’re good.  She has also applied to three other colleges, but they are not the schools she is dreaming about.  Next week we are going to a local Christian college for dinner and preview night.  I haven’t been to a college (except for a graduation) for 22 years.  I’ve heard things have changed a bit while I’ve been growing up.  We’ll see.

Bursting my buttons, once again, at the blessing this girl has been in my life.  She is amazing and I love her.