Decreasing stuff...Increasing Adventure
Well, for those of you who ask on occasion--here it goes...another attempt at blogging--we will see how long it lasts. I will say that I have never been more excited about it! We have lots of upcoming change that is definitely going to provide lots of material I am sure! So, what's going on you ask?
1. I am resigning from my job at the end of this school year. Working in the school system has been fun for the last 13 years, as a matter of fact, it has been so fun, we have decided to have our own school--at home! So, I have been busy writing lessons plans, reading common core stuff, and combining curriculums that I think will be a good fit for our boys. As I have been talking to people about our new adventure, the first question is usually, "What's wrong?" Nothing--We are not dissatisfied or mad at public schools--to be honest--for the most part, schools do the best they can or as best they/the leaders/teachers know how to do. I just want to invest more in my boys' lives...they are growing up so fast and I don't want to miss a moment. Going on reading treasure hunts, making predictions about which dart will shoot the farthest, and figuring out how many army men are needed to make 3 equal groups, just sounds like fun times to me. I know there will be those days I am ready to pull my hair strands out one by one or regress to chronic head banging...but to be honest--I have had plenty of those days working a job too! Maybe writing about it will be a form of therapy! And the last thing I will say right now about the work thing....I will be so glad to get out of the professional work force--I so do not fit in--my identity has nothing to do with what I do for a living, how I talk or can "network" with people of influence, or any of the other drama that presents itself working around large groups of females! What I will miss--celebrating those victories as I watched students defy the odds of circumstance and begin making positive choices. I will miss those sincere conversations when young men break down and tell me that just want to know that someone cares about them...I will miss seeing the success that is sometimes only seen in a counselor's office--small, personal things that students achieve that no one else can see...
2. Minimizing--I have enjoyed reading blogs on the minimalist lifestyle--and I must say--I really like the idea. So, we are slowly going to work on downsizing our stuff. I have never been a lover of stuff--I hate shopping, jewelry always looks so funny to me (metal hanging around necks, and protruding from ears), shoes are only a necessity, purses are a nuisance, perfume makes my head hurt, makeup smells like old ladies, stuff sitting around in your house only collects dust...I could go on--but I think you get the point! I started today with the closet--I only got through the clothes--still have the top stuff to go. What I learned--the more I paid for something--the more hesitant I was to throw it in the give away pile--how foolish--even stuff I am not really fond of. So, there goes that band wagon I was recently On about buying boutique clothes! Oh, and if you are a minimalist genius, I know the idea is to buy less but better--to be honest, less and sufficient is good for me!
3. Letting go of the job,homeschooling, and minimizing hopefully is just practice for our future move into an rv. Everyday our desire to live that way increases--we would love to travel around, helping church plants, missionaries, and just sharing Christ as we enjoy having adventures in this wonderful country God created. Of course, the biggest obstacle to that is what it has always been--how in the world are we gonna pay for it? We are racking our brains--any ideas that are realistic would be greatly appreciated!
4. Putting all of our hope in Christ... If there has been a theme lately to what I feel like God has been helping me to understand it is about putting all my "stakes" in Him. I will tell you very quickly the only thing of value is my relationships with Christ and others. But to be honest--if you looked at my daily actions and habits, you would quickly see that I have put a lot of trust in money, the security of a job, and well, just being comfortable. Done with that come July :) I love asking older people what they would have done differently at my age--almost all say they would have worked less, spent more time with their family, and really lived out their faith. Of course it is never to late to do those things, so I think I need to go ahead and get started being that the years just seem to be piling on! God's grace is sufficient--I do not need anything else--in my weakness, He is made strong!
Well blog, my official first post is done. More to come soon--I guess...or maybe not! In the meantime, live a meaningful life!
1. I am resigning from my job at the end of this school year. Working in the school system has been fun for the last 13 years, as a matter of fact, it has been so fun, we have decided to have our own school--at home! So, I have been busy writing lessons plans, reading common core stuff, and combining curriculums that I think will be a good fit for our boys. As I have been talking to people about our new adventure, the first question is usually, "What's wrong?" Nothing--We are not dissatisfied or mad at public schools--to be honest--for the most part, schools do the best they can or as best they/the leaders/teachers know how to do. I just want to invest more in my boys' lives...they are growing up so fast and I don't want to miss a moment. Going on reading treasure hunts, making predictions about which dart will shoot the farthest, and figuring out how many army men are needed to make 3 equal groups, just sounds like fun times to me. I know there will be those days I am ready to pull my hair strands out one by one or regress to chronic head banging...but to be honest--I have had plenty of those days working a job too! Maybe writing about it will be a form of therapy! And the last thing I will say right now about the work thing....I will be so glad to get out of the professional work force--I so do not fit in--my identity has nothing to do with what I do for a living, how I talk or can "network" with people of influence, or any of the other drama that presents itself working around large groups of females! What I will miss--celebrating those victories as I watched students defy the odds of circumstance and begin making positive choices. I will miss those sincere conversations when young men break down and tell me that just want to know that someone cares about them...I will miss seeing the success that is sometimes only seen in a counselor's office--small, personal things that students achieve that no one else can see...
2. Minimizing--I have enjoyed reading blogs on the minimalist lifestyle--and I must say--I really like the idea. So, we are slowly going to work on downsizing our stuff. I have never been a lover of stuff--I hate shopping, jewelry always looks so funny to me (metal hanging around necks, and protruding from ears), shoes are only a necessity, purses are a nuisance, perfume makes my head hurt, makeup smells like old ladies, stuff sitting around in your house only collects dust...I could go on--but I think you get the point! I started today with the closet--I only got through the clothes--still have the top stuff to go. What I learned--the more I paid for something--the more hesitant I was to throw it in the give away pile--how foolish--even stuff I am not really fond of. So, there goes that band wagon I was recently On about buying boutique clothes! Oh, and if you are a minimalist genius, I know the idea is to buy less but better--to be honest, less and sufficient is good for me!
3. Letting go of the job,homeschooling, and minimizing hopefully is just practice for our future move into an rv. Everyday our desire to live that way increases--we would love to travel around, helping church plants, missionaries, and just sharing Christ as we enjoy having adventures in this wonderful country God created. Of course, the biggest obstacle to that is what it has always been--how in the world are we gonna pay for it? We are racking our brains--any ideas that are realistic would be greatly appreciated!
4. Putting all of our hope in Christ... If there has been a theme lately to what I feel like God has been helping me to understand it is about putting all my "stakes" in Him. I will tell you very quickly the only thing of value is my relationships with Christ and others. But to be honest--if you looked at my daily actions and habits, you would quickly see that I have put a lot of trust in money, the security of a job, and well, just being comfortable. Done with that come July :) I love asking older people what they would have done differently at my age--almost all say they would have worked less, spent more time with their family, and really lived out their faith. Of course it is never to late to do those things, so I think I need to go ahead and get started being that the years just seem to be piling on! God's grace is sufficient--I do not need anything else--in my weakness, He is made strong!
Well blog, my official first post is done. More to come soon--I guess...or maybe not! In the meantime, live a meaningful life!
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