Yesterday, was the first day of school in our parts.

For the first time in last 11 years, my girls were not there when their names were called.

This is a change that God has been working in us for the last 8 months. He wouldn’t let me leave the idea alone or even push it to the side. I couldn’t ignore this calling that God was taking Kevin and I into.

He has called our family to home school our 3 daughter’s this next school year.

I know…many of you are saying “craziness!”

This decision did not happen over night. No Sirree! This was a long process of researching, talking and reading.

Back in the first of May, we made our final decision and went ahead and bought all of our materials and curriculum. We were set and ready to begin over the summer with working out some of the kinks.

When our “apple cart” got turned over in the first June, we asked God if we missed Him on this one?…He said “No, it is part of the plan.”

We trusted.

We have spent countless hours on the phone with friends that have been walking this path of homeschooling for some time now. With each conversation, we have been given encouraging reminders that one of the advantages of homeschooling is the flexibility that it would lend to our family. This will enable for us to be together more as we continue to go back and forth to MD Anderson in Texas.

So we prayed some more…I mean we prayed hard and everywhere we turned God was giving us peace and the answers we needed in this decision. I know there is nothing normal about stepping out into this much change all at once.

It all came down to obedience.

So, this week, we have officially began our schooling at home! It seems to be working out good so far, of course, we have only had 4 days of it. 🙂 {I think we are in the honeymoon stage still.} We are joining in with a co-op group that meets once a week called Classical Conversations. The girls will be with many friends that we know once a week, along with all the other activities that we have always done in the afternoons.

This co-op group has already been rallying around us in the last 2 months helping out in every way possible; to which I am so thankful. I am so blessed to have the grandparents on board and supporting us tenfold on this too.

I am learning that God has taught me how to simplify my life in the last year for the sake of my family. At the time, I didn’t know what He was up to, but now, I know He had a purpose in this. He is also showing me that just as He shows an immeasurable amount of grace towards me – I need to learn to extend the same amount of grace to myself and my children.

Tonight, I read this blog entry from a girl that I began following 7 years ago when the idea of blogging was just beginning. This was one of the first post of hers that I read. This precious woman named Sarah, passed away last year after a long battle with a chronic illness. She never stopped seeing Jesus through her circumstances. Her blog posts are amazing and have impacted mind-boggling amounts of people. Just spend one night reading all of her entries…you won’t complain about any of your problems any more! And you will learn to see Jesus from a whole new perspective – one that I think He has been trying to get us to follow for a while now.

I felt it was right to share with you today, as her story about Noah seemed to hit home with me. Sometimes, God calls us to step out in obedience while those on the outside…question.

{There are a lot of those kind of stories in the Bible on this topic.}

I want others to see the good that God has come out of the wretchedness of cancer and pancreatitis.

I like the fact that Noah said yes for no reason other than God commanded him.

Here is Glitzen Girl’s blog entry from a year and a half ago…. Not mine…her writing…I am just one of the recipients that was touched by her story.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011

Trust.
“I remember having a conversation with a friend a few years back when she made the comment, “When I get to heaven I am taking a list of questions with me that I’d like some answers to.”

I sat and thought about it and realized I really wouldn’t. First of all, I hope that when I get to heaven I am so overwhelmed by the peace that surpasses all understanding, it makes understanding unnecessary. I hope there is so much love that all I feel is an overwhelming amount of trust – all the trust that I have lacked in this life – making understanding a moot point.

I strive for that kind of trust now. I try to put a blanket of trust over me to protect me from fear and longing. But I’m sure when I get to heaven and look over my life I will see immense holes driven into the fabric of trust that I’m not even aware of as I’m living.

So many people say as they are going through a hard time that someday they will look back and see how the pieces fall together. But I think a big part of trust is walking ahead in faith and being ok with never knowing. Never understanding. I think trust comes down to walking a path simply because He has asked us to.

I thought about it as I read the old story of Noah and his ark. Everyone thought Noah was nuts. I mean, imagine it in this day and age. Imagine me randomly telling you all that I was stopping my life to build a boat the size of Noah’s in my dad’s field. Just because I felt God calling me to.

People would be saying I had messed up my medication. People would be screaming about how the money could be better spent helping the tornado victims or paying down our national debt. People would be judging me, calling me names, ridiculing my religious beliefs and making assumptions about my political party status.

I would be a laughing stock.

Of course, we look at Noah and see that he was right. That it all worked out. That the rain came and he saved his family and God was pleased. Happy endings and hugs all around.

My question is this: would he have been less right if it never rained?

I don’t think so.

I think it’s about saying yes without the guarantee that anything will work out in our favor. I’d like to look at my life and hope good is coming out of my disadvantage. I’d like to think that because I am remaining faithful and joyful in this situation that good things will happen for me or someone else. We can all look at our lives and say, “Well, that was hard, but look at the good that came from it.”

But I think Noah was the hero before a drop of rain hit the thirsty earth. I think he said yes for no reason other than God commanded him. And I am going to think of Noah’s decision before the rain every time I have a hard decision to make. Every time I start to get weary of living a difficult life. Every time I long or wish for different.

I’m going to think of the man on dry land who said yes regardless of the outcome.

Because we don’t all live to see the rain. We don’t all live to see the benefit. We don’t all get to know if there even is a benefit.

But, if we really trust Him, our thirst can be quenched in the simple decision of YES.”

What is God calling you to say yes to? It might not be big, but then again, it may be way out of the box. Don’t disobey Him. It’s not worth it.

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Kevin is glad to be home, but just tired. This week after the treatment is always a tough one. He has rested well, eaten well, and even had quite a few laughs with the girls and I. The comedy of our lives this week has totally been hysterical…or at least we have tried to look at it that way. Let me see…

* Our air conditioning for our master bedroom has gone on the blink…but covered under the warranty. Thank you Jesus that we have other units working great in the girls bedrooms. It’s been like a chinese fire drill with all of sleeping in different rooms. {Grace is being learned by all.}
* The plumbing for the whole house began to back up on Tuesday night. I could have kissed those plumbers when they arrived!
* The air conditioning in our car started acting up, but Praise the Lord for smart people at the dealership who knew how to repair it – without charge.
* All 9 granddaughter’s have had fun playing, swimming and giggling many times this week. Never a dull moment around here!

God is good! We continue to hear Him whisper…

I’ve Got This! So we keep trusting!

Blessings,