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