SUNFLOWERS AND SIESTAS

Isn't this a lovely picture of a sunflower that is blooming in my yard right now? My sweet Punkin took this picture, aka Miss Timeless and Treasured.

I just had to share about the Beth Moore Live Simulcast event that I was able to attend this past weekend. If any of you are Beth Moore fans, then you know without me telling you what an amazing, fabulous experience it was!! Do you ever feel like someone is just speaking DIRECTLY to you? Yeah, it was kinda like that. I can't tell you what a blessing it was to be filled to the brim with such profound amazing life-giving words, right before I was about to start out on this amazing journey of homeschooling... which by the way began today. Can I just say that our very first day of homeschooling was more than I could have ever imagined??? I so badly wanted to take pictures of all the sweet little things that were going on last night and all day today. But I didn't. I just wanted to soak it all up, and not show it all off to the blog world like "oooh, look what we did!". Sometimes I think I enjoy things more when I don't take pictures, and have to create a concrete picture in my mind of exactly what I want to remember. Richard and I had so much fun last night getting all of our little "first day" surprises ready for the girls. And this morning was even more fun sharing it all with them. Throughout the day hearing my girls (especially of the teenage variety) say "this is so much fun mom, I totally love homeschooling", was more than enough to carry me through the hard times that I'm sure will come our way in this journey. Yeah, I know you are saying "uh, this was only the first day". I know, I know, but wow, what a first day!! I'm sure the six months of planning had a little something to do with it. I felt that today, the first day, was really important in laying down the foundation of what our homeschool is going to be about. I know the newness and excitement will soon wear off, but to hear my teenager comment about how peaceful it was, was music to my ears! I have been praying for so long about this, and I certainly felt the Lord's blessing many times today. At the Beth Moore conference, there was a piece of scripture in one of the worship songs we sang, and I know it was JUST FOR ME. Well, this morning we started our day (as we will everyday), with Dad reading from the Bible and praying over our day for us. Can you believe that the very chapter he read, was the same exact line of that verse that I so badly needed to hear on Saturday? God is good. To me, it was just confirmation that he knows the desires of our hearts, and when we delight in him, he is faithful to us.

Here is a summary of the conference:

My Dear Sister (siesta)

God has not overlooked you

He has not ignored you

He hears every petition

And intimately knows

The heart beneath it.

Give Him full access

To all your longings

Pray every single day

To become a person who delights in Him.

When it seems to disappear

Remember to check your JAW

Are you jealous?

Are you angry?

Are you worried?

Roll it all on Jesus

He's strong enough to carry it

Big enough to handle it.

Trust God with all your heart

Now leave this place

And go into the world

And do some GOOD.

Read more at Beth Moore's blog. and you can be a siesta too!

Just as I was about to publish my post, my sweet Banana gave me this most treasured gift (all wrapped up in her favorite baby blanket). It was a little box filled with a few of her treasures. But the sweet little card just was a perfect ending to this day.

What is so beautiful about this card - is that Hannah is learning that her precious heart is way more important to her mom and dad than how well she can spell. When she gave me this I asked her if I could blog it. She was thrilled with that honor, but was a little concerned that "the world" would think that "I'm only in first or second grade, because I can't spell like a 4th grader". She is beginning to overcome her weaknesses and see them as special challenges. She agreed that she would like me to blog the pictures, if I was sure to say that she is a brilliant fourth grader who has some definite strengths, and is working on her weaknesses. And she is becoming confident in the fact that her love and her kindness speak so much louder than her grammar. And I'm thrilled that she is seeing how much better a homeschool style curriculum are going to fit her special learning style!! (Oh, and a Free Ski-lolly-pop is code for our special snuggle time together!). Thanks Hannah for one of the best gifts I have EVER received!! And here's to hoping that tomorrow is just as exciting as today...