A persevering spirit...

Last week was quite busy.

Things started out quietly enough with our first day of the 2013-2014 school year, and then sort of went crazy after that. A friend in need, a sweet husband who seamlessly stepped into the role of teacher, dinner for a friend and her family, a regularly scheduled meeting with The Lighthouse Keepers (our governing body), a Red Cross blood drive that filled our Friday, cookies for the blood drive, successfully giving a full pint for the first time ever (which naturally brings exhaustion), baking and icing cupcakes for a little one's first birthday on Saturday, a full morning teaching and participating at church, and fellowship at lunch.

More than once as the week drew to a close, I questioned whether I had the strength to finish well. More than once I questioned Jesus' timing on all of these commitments. If it had not been for the verse He had laid on my heart the week before, I do not think that I could have had a right attitude.

Psalm 51:10 (AMP) "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me." 

This verse was not new to me. In fact, just reading it has me humming the familiar chorus by Keith Green. But something struck me as "new information" as I read this verse in the Amplified Version. The word "persevering." A "persevering spirit."

per·se·vere

[pur-suh-veer] per·se·vered, per·se·ver·ing.

verb (used without object)

1. to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

 

To touch on a bit of the journey that Jesus and I have been on lately -- one which I will expound upon in later blogs -- is to tell you that Jesus has been speaking to me about my addiction to food, my use of it to "handle" emotions, and my out-of-control cravings. And with those very things in mind, this verse, and the thought of a "persevering spirit" really took hold of my heart.
 

And then last week happened. 

And it took on a whole new meaning. 

And I was so very grateful that He knew that I would need this verse. He knew that these words would be a comfort to me. He knew that He would provide the strength that I needed to persist, maintain and continue until it was time for rest. 

And that is when I knew that I was right where I was supposed to be, doing exactly the things that He desired for me to do, and giving Him glory for the opportunities and the strength. It really was a beautiful thing to me. 

Was I tired? Yes. Was I truthful when people asked how I was doing? Yes. Did I do everything perfectly and without any grumbling? Nope. Some of that slipped out. 

 

But there was another victory...

I chose not to turn to food. And that is really huge for me and Jesus. And that thought brings a smile to my face. 

And now it is a new week. I wonder what it will hold. Whatever the case may be, I know He's got this. :o)

Blessings,

Marcia

We survive...and we thrive

Today was Day 1 of our full curriculum and I am pretty wiped out as I write this. *grin* I think it was a good day all-around, but I just need to relax and remember that the first couple of weeks are always a time of adjustment. It's time to figure out how to layer subjects with each of the boys so that they each have the time they need with me. Jake and Jesse still need lots of guidance, reading, questioning, and instructing. Joseph, on the other hand, needs less reading (no more read-alouds! *sad*) but still needs lots of guidance and discussion time with me as we talk about what he is reading, current events, biology, and many other exciting things. Sometimes, during the first few weeks, I feel pulled in so many directions! Even still, I love that I have this time with the boys. I know I will miss it when it is over. And I am very thankful for a husband that reminds me that it is only the first day, that we will find our rhythm, and that it's okay that our first day went until 5:30pm. Oh my!

So I thought I would keep things pretty short today, but wanted to add a few pictures from this year's BOX DAY. I think you will find that the boys have changed a lot from the last box day photos I blogged.

I can hardly believe these are the same little men from back in August of 2008.They still make my heart melt, and while they may not be quite as excited about getting new books, they still indulge this camera-clicking momma.

Even with the long hours today, it felt so good to be back to school and know that I was not alone. Jesus was right there with me. Perspective is an amazing thing. I am even excited now to face tomorrow, because I know Jesus will be there too.

Blessings,
Marcia

A Four Year "Blog Break"???

Wow. It is hard to know where and how to pick back up here after a four year hiatus. So much of life has "happened" in the past four years. I have had four more birthdays. (If I am four years older, does that mean I am also wiser? I sure hope so.) Jason and I have celebrated four more anniversaries for a total of 18, but it will be 19 in September. He is always and forever my one and only! The boys! What to say about the boys? They have grown sooooooo much!!! I have been feeling the desire to come back to blogging for a while now, but I haven't known where to pick back up. (Truth be told, the draft of this very post was a year old, so I went through it and changed everything from "three years" to "four years" and added some new information!) So I have spent the last few days rereading many of my entries and I have giggled, laughed, and even sniffed as I saw pictures and videos of them all. Where has the time gone? And where are we now? I suppose that is as good a place as any to start again. 

Our school year is underway and this year we have an 9th grader (he's in HIGH SCHOOL!), a 6th grader, and a 4th grader! I am looking forward to completing another trek through American History with Joey this year, and Jake and Jesse will be embarking on their second year of American History. Exciting times! Thursday is BOX DAY! Feel free to pop back over to read a little about BOX DAY from our '08/'09 school year. It is an exciting time...especially for Joey. Being the oldest, and because so much of our chosen curriculum is reusable, he is the one who enjoys BOX DAY the most since it is mostly new stuff for him. Needless to say, Monday is the start of full core classes. Am I ready? I sure hope so!

My sweet hubby is definitely keeping busy these days. Our church has been meeting in our own building since early this year, and what a blessing that has been. It is an exciting time in the life of our church. The Lord has moved us to many places (a dance hall, a movie theater, a high school, an elementary school, and the local YMCA), and every time we have moved, His grace has been evident and always sufficient. It is good to be "home" and have the freedom to meet every day, if desired, and to even have more than one activity scheduled at a time. And we continue to meet new people and new families who come to TLC to see what we are all about. And now the time has come for small groups to begin and I am so excited for this to happen. I am thrilled that this will help more people get to know others on a more intimate level and to learn to "do life" together. It is grace in action. And I think that is what we have always desired and felt called to be about...grace.

And without a doubt, Jesus has been hard at work on me. I am really looking forward to sharing more about that in upcoming entries. It has not been an easy road, but it has truly been life-changing and something that I have been begging Him for for many years. I guess I was finally ready to surrender and let Him truly lead for once. Whatever it was, I am extremely grateful and I am very happy to share my journey if it will bring Him glory.

Blessings,
Marcia

The "birds and bees" at the Hardware Store?

This is a story that will make you smile. Oh, the joys of growing up.

Jason was working on getting our pool pump up and running at the beginning of this summer and was needing some PVC pipe fittings. He and Papa were going to the hardware store down the road and so my 10 year old eldest decided to ask if he could tag along. Sure, why not? Hop on in. Poor Joe had no idea what he was about to walk into.

At the hardware store, Jason's and Papa's home-away-from-home, Jason was wandering down the PVC fittings aisle mumbling under his breath about "a female" this and "a few male" thats and needing "a nipple" for this. Joe was staring at the fittings with a look of confusion. Bless his heart, he decided to ask what in the world his dad was talking about! Jason and Papa looked at one another and smiled.

As Jason began to stumble for words to explain the wonders of pipe fittings, Papa interrupted with a grin and stated, "If you don't mind, I'd love to take this one!"

Jason said, "By all means, Dad!"

So Papa began to explain to Joe how the male and female parts "fit" together. Somewhere in the middle of this, a light bulb went on in Joe's mind and he understood it. Simultaneously, the light bulb went on in a different part of Joe's mind and, suddenly, my baby was growing up.

All he said to his Nana when he came home was, "Well, that was an educational trip!"

Who needs birds and bees when you have the Hardware Store?

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

Join us for a celebration!

Printed on green and brown construction paper:

Please join us
as we celebrate
Jacob's
Lagoon Miracle
on Thursday, September 3
at 5:00pm
at the kitchen table
(Please wear green or brown)

The invitations were handed out to grandma and grandpa downstairs in their apartment yesterday. Today marks the 3 year anniversary since Jacob fell into the lagoon and was saved. God is so good, I cannot help but praise His name every time I think about this day. For those of you who may have never heard Jacob's story, I invite you to read it HERE. This is my blog entry from 2008, but I included the account that I had written to share with some online friends within days of the accident. I remember how raw my emotions still were and how thinking of the worse case scenario made me catch my breath.

We are also celebrating Jacob's 1 year SPIRITUAL birthday at this time too. September is a special month for Jake. God has been faithful to call Jacob and to begin preparing him for the work He has laid before him. We do not know where this road will lead, but we are excited to see day by day where the Lord is taking him.

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD."

- Psalm 40:1-3

So in 2009, this time has come again and this year, we are celebrating the baptism of Jacob which happened this past Sunday afternoon! Praise the Lord!!! What a privilege for a daddy to baptize his son. God is good...all the time!

Don't you think the picture says it all?

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

A nice calm day

So not a whole lot to say about today. I'm actually very happy about that. *big grin*

School went very well. Jason accomplished everything on his list. The boys had a good day. My father-in-law did fine with his radiation treatment. Oh...and my bruise is getting better!

Just seems like a GOOD DAY.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing quiet and very "normal" days. They nurture my soul.


Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

Marcia vs. the River

I don't know what made me think I could do this! Not really sure what possessed Jason and I to say "yes" in the first place. Am I crazy? What's worse is that I was actually excited about this...and deathly afraid! It was not really real until I saw it all before me...

the river

and the canoe.

I began giving myself sort of a pep talk. Besides, there was no backing out now. What was done was done. There was no way out of this except for going forward. The bus had pulled away and with it, it took all my plans of sneaking out of this somehow.

Here was my plan...

not to get wet!

After all, it was just a little float trip down the Meramec River.

As I now know, this was not a good "plan" at all.

We weren't really prepared either. Jason did not have water shoes, but I had fortunately borrowed a pair. (Best thing I ever did, too!) We had overpacked as far as food and drinks were concerned. I had no idea that I would be concentrating so hard on canoeing that eating would not be a concern. We did remember sunscreen and that was a good thing! Neither of us came home badly burned.

But I was not without some battle scars.

And I did not follow my own plan.

Back to the trip...so we picked our sad looking aluminum canoe and I climbed in front and Jason climbed in back and we were on our way. That is until we hit the shallow water...about 15 feet from where we started. CLUNK! My behind was resting snuggly on a rock! WHAT??? No one mentioned getting stuck in shallow water??? Man, this may not be much fun. So we got moving again with a push from behind and soon we were really working this river. What a team! Paddle, paddle, glide! Paddle, paddle, glide! We were AWESOME! Down that river we were going. There was no stopping us now. I am one with my canoe. Just call me Sacajawea.

And then it happened.

We attempted to turn.

And we hit a branch.

And then we tipped over!

But we had come so far! Ok, truth be told, we were not even 50 feet from where we had put in. I was suddenly wet and cold, and completely and totally embarrassed! How could this have happened? Oh yeah, and somehow during the struggle to grab or stuff and not lose my oar, I slipped on some rocks and royally bruised my arm! OUCH! Now, I was truly laughing through my tears at this point. And so was the rest of our group! We were floating with 4 other couples and truly, if the embarrassment had to be in front of someone, these guys were it! I cringe now as I try to imagine what we looked like!!! Wow!

After getting back in again, we were off. Truthfully, I had suddenly become very concerned about how we were going to remain upright for the rest of the float. Flipping a canoe every 50 feet or so will not allow us to complete our float very efficiently. By the time Jason and I reach the pick up point, it will be dark and I am sure everyone will have gone home! Man, oh, man! Why did I agree to do this?

Silently, I was praying. Praying for strength, praying for grace, and praying for a good, low center of gravity.

And my Lord came through!

Isn't He amazing?

He heard my cries!

No, we did not miraculously open our eyes at the end, and, no, we did not avoid another flipped canoe incident. In fact, "we" flipped "our" canoe a total of 4 times that day. I emphasize "we" and "our" because I did not mention the time "I" flipped "our" canoe all by myself with only me in it. Jason thought that one was a beauty. My friend, Vickie, said I was so graceful.

But between flips, the river was absolutely gorgeous! Parts of the float were breathtaking. The water was so clear, the fish swam so fast, the sun felt so warm. It made all the flips worthwhile.

And, of course, it always helped to smile when another couple flipped their canoe. Four out of five of us did just that and so our mood was light and the jokes were plenty.

"Who's dumb idea was this going canoeing to get closer as couples???"

"Can a divorced couple continue to teach the married couple's class???"

"Marcia, you're looking kind of dry...time to flip again!!!"

What a day. When we finally rounded the bend and saw the pick up, their was much rejoicing!

We had done it!

I had done it?

I canoed 9 miles with my husband and I lived to blog about it!

I'm beginning to think that if I can do this, then God and I could accomplish almost anything...

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

Trying not to look back

I am a bloggy failure, but I am going to try again. I am going to make a fresh start and not try to "play catchup" here. I've gotten sucked into FaceBook and keeping up with old and new friends, church stuff, and playing FarmTown and Fish Wrangler. Sad...but true!

So here is where I am now...today...this moment!

• Four out of five Jordons are recuperating from a nasty case of strep throat. Praise the Lord for antibiotics.
  
• We are about 1 week away from finishing 4th grade and 1st grade. God is so AWESOME! We will still be counting some hours into July to complete our logbook, but things are looking great. I am pleased with how all 3 of our boys have done this year.
  
• T minus 10 days and counting until our camping trip! We are extremely excited about taking out our "new to us" tent camper. Next week, we will clean and stock it and get our fishing licenses. Missouri State Parks, here we come! :o)

Today...this moment...now...I am so grateful for the many blessings that the Lord has given our family. Don't get me wrong, things are not always a bed of roses here, but my heart is truly full of joy and I know that no matter what we will face tomorrow, that God is God and I am not; and that gives me peace that I cannot even explain.

“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Psalm 103:17-18

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

How does life get so crazy, so fast?

The past 3 weeks have been an absolute blur! I think I have just kicked into survival mode and am glad to be on the other side. I will try to hit the highlights here:

• We celebrated International Night with our homeschool group. That was a lot of fun! We chose to represent South Korea so we made Yaki Mandu, a Korean-style fried wonton stuffed with hamburger, bean sprouts, soy sauce, and garlic (yummy!), Korean spinich, kimchi, and oi (oh-ee) kimchi. Joey made a powerpoint presentation on Korean culture, Jacob shared that the capital of South Korea is Soeal, and Jesse pointed to South Korea on the map. We also visited France, Greece, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, and Russia and had our passports stamped. It was a great night!
  
  
• Dare 2 Share Student Conference in St. Louis was the last weekend in March. We had an awesome time with our 22 teens! Lives were changed, decisions were made to follow Christ, teens boldly shared their faith and I was blown away by how awesome every one of these teens were! I know the Lord will use each one of them in a mighty way.
  
  
• My father-in-law had surgery for cancer on April 2. The surgeon felt he got excellent margins and that the cancer has been completely removed. Thank you, Lord! He has since had a few setbacks and had a second hospital stay which was longer than the original stay, but he came home today, and there is no sign of infection. Again, praise the Lord!
  
  
• Joseph turned 10(!!!) on April 10. I cannot believe that my son is in double digits! He had a friend spend the night and we had a nice family party since Papa was back in the hospital and things were a little crazy.
  
  
• Easter Sunday was wonderful! I am so thankful for the gift of redemption from my heavenly Father! What a special day to celebrate as His child. It is always very humbling to think about the unbelievable sacrifce He made for me and you. Glory be to God. May my life truly show the grace I have been given.

Somewhere in there, I turned another year older! :o) Life just keeps moving on. I feel so blessed. Through everything that has happened, Jason and I have stayed connected as a team and we know that the Lord has brought us even closer as a couple. Intimacy is such a beautiful and miraculous gift from the Lord.

So even when I have felt that I cannot go on one more day, the Lord has strengthened me and has made me soar as an eagle! (Isaiah 40:28-31) He has been here every step of the way and I cannot imagine my life without Him. I love You, Lord!!!

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~

Check it out!

I sent in a story about Jesse to the Hearts at Home Real Moms, Real Jesus Contest and it is being featured today on the Hearts at Home homepage. Check it out! The title is "Lead Me Not Into Temptation" and it is guaranteed to made you smile.

Blessings,
~ Marcia ~