Catchin' Up

First of all, I'm gonna try to blog more often so I don't have to play catch up each time.



Brannon, my nephew is doing well. He is at home and once again trying to adjust. His incision is healing but the skin is very irritated from all that it has gone through lately. The ileostomy is working well so far since the last surgery. His parents (my sister-mom) are in the stage of trying to figure out the best plan for Brannon in terms of his schooling. The original hope was that he would be able to return to his school like normal and continue his usual daily activities. This does happen for kids who have had similar issues as he. But, it doesn't look like it will work out for him, considering the challenges he has had over and over again. So, they are researching other options, one being homeschooling with us. My sister needs wisdom and discernment. You can imagine how difficult it is to make big decisions for your child. Please pray for her and the rest of the family.

Other things going on in my world:

Sunday School--I still love it! The kids continue to amaze me regularly. We are studying the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, though we are all over the Bible cross referencing. They have been able to search the scriptures from numerous sections of the Bible and it is so refreshing to me to be reminded how complete God's word is. I'm also reminded that we have all we need to do God's will. We have a new heart, as a Christian, and the indwelling Spirit of God which "causes us to walk in His statutes" and "observe His ordinances" Eze. 36:27. It is possible to be obedient to the Lord in all things. I'm trying to convey to them that we always have a choice. The choice is to submit to His Lordship, to obey, or to not obey taking ourselves out of the protection of His sovereignty. I keep reminding them that it is possible to have no regrets, but only if we choose obedience. It is a challenge to me as I struggle with wanting things my way, and in my timing. I laugh at myself when I realize how much wisdom I lack. I pray God's grace never runs out! :)

On another note, but still regarding my SS kids:

Some friends of ours came to visit one weekend recently. The wife is one of my closest friends and she hears me brag on my "spiritual kids" all the time. Her and her husband came to my class that weekend to sorta observe. One of the things I don't usually talk about is how nutty the class is. Often people have commented on how middle schoolers aren't for them, not their area of interests. The Sunday my friends were there my class was pretty typical, in fact, I thought they behaved pretty well for the most part. My friends thought they were crazy! They couldn't believe that I did that (taught them) every week. It wasn't that they did anything wrong, it was just that they ARE a little nutty right now. The thing is, I don't even see it. I don't see disrespect because they question me. I don't see lack of understanding because they have an off the wall answer. I don't see foolishness when they answer wrong. I don't see immaturity when they show their goofiness. What I see is what I hope God sees in me. A searching for the Truth. A need for guidance. A desire for wisdom. And a need for unconditional acceptance.

Also, as I've described to our youth pastor recently, it's not so much middle schoolers that I love. It's these. The ones that I see every Sunday and Wednesday. The ones I spent all of the previous school year with. The ones that I have come to know very well and who know me pretty good. The ones I can call by name. My point is that God has allowed me to love a group of kids in a special way. I don't know why, I just say "thank you" and keep going in hopes not to mess it up. But I have come to understand that God loves all people, but He knows each by name. There's something very special about that, something worth investing in. I am drawn to Him because He knows me and loves me. I think these kids are drawn to me for the same reason. God shows Himself in ways we can't imagine. This is one for me.

Now, in terms of that investing I just mentioned. I'm finding that it is quite easy for me to study and prepare lessons for my class, whether it is ss or dship, but much harder for me to just simply do it for myself. Why is that? It frustrates me that I let the activities of life interrupt my personal growth. If I'm able to put things aside to prepare lessons for the benefit of others, why not for myself. Yes, with each lesson I am drawn closer to my Father, I do grow in my spiritual walk as a result of these, but it is always about other people. I wish I could just sit down with the sole purpose of seeing what God has for me, just me. I don't know if that makes any sense. Maybe some of you who are in teaching roles get it. I just want to go to my Bible because I want to engage with God, not because of the accountability of church. Crazy, I know...

House:
We were suppose to close next Friday, the 30Th. Issues with paperwork have put a kink in things, but we aren't too worried. We will close in mid Feb. as long as no other setbacks happen. We both still feel pretty good about it all.

Another thing worth mentioning:

My kids have great friends. I'm so thankful for the people at Rich Fork and those involved in Classical Conversations (a homeschooling network). Families are raising their kids with Godly convictions and it is evident in their behavior. It is so incredible to have young boys and girls who live as they are being taught. Both my children have numerous choices in who to have over each weekend. If you are reading this and have kids you are in this group I'm referring to. It is just amazing at the network of encouragement and exhortation that God has surrounded us with. Even now as I write this Macie is at a friend's house and Cody has a friend over and both of those families represented by those friends are truly gifts to us. I hope we are impacting others the way our peers are impacting us and I hope our kids are just as bright a light.

Ok, enough said for now!!