The Run

Yesterday was Summer's first 5k. I didn't run 3 miles until I was 17, and that was because I didn't want to play volleyball, and I didn't want to go home. So I joined cross country as the worst long distance runner in HHS history. I didn't run to win, obviously, but I had a darn good time!

Thankfully, my husband likes to run. Savannah is a natural, but Summer I wasn't so sure about. She complains when we run together...I preached to Savannah that she needed patience with her since everyone has different gifts... and Summer ran the whole way, finishing with a sprint.

Remind me to never underestimate my children again.

And the kid's run....

 

On your mark,



Get set,

GO!

 

 

I always put the numbers on the back, and it's supposed to be on the front. I never remember that.

It was a great family day, and a first for my eight-year old.

The letter from the Church of the Resurrection, the church that organized the run, said this money was going to orphans, women, children, and young adults in sub-Sahara Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are learning about deserts, so we found the Sahara, and then the sub-Sahara on the map.

And the verse on the back of the shirts, which I covered up with the misplaced numbers says:

"I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith." -2 Timothy 4:7

This was the verse that the girls had learned at church on the Wednesday night before, and one of the verses on our family mission statement. I love God's timing. It made the verse so much easier to hide in their hearts.

Activity, family time, geography, faith, giving, and growth on a Saturday morning. That's how we roll. Or try to, anyway.

Bless You!

I am convinced more and more each day of the fact that God loves beauty, and truly beautiful things bless God. God uses beauty to bless us. We bless God by expressing our gifts through beauty. Beauty and God just go together.

I am absolutely certain that chaos itself does not produce beauty. If you are unsure of this, come see my house. (I did a little experiment on the issue and went and had four kids) However, I do think we can find beauty in the chaos.

There are days that I can't provide beauty for my family. There are times that in trying to make something beautiful, I make more of a mess. (not beautiful)

I was overly tired and crampy when the meltdown began last weekend. I was being a selfish brat. I was spent and then some. And that's when I said, "I hate this house!" (opposite of beautiful)

There are a lot of reasons why I said that. Looking back, I realize the majority of the last ten years I have spent hating this house. I seldom can muster up thanksgiving for it, even when I see pictures of people in their grass huts. Some days I think I might prefer a grass hut.

But the problem is that my family and I live in this house, and I love my family. I want them to live in a blessed house, not a cursed one.

I got some sleep. I prayed a lot.

With a refreshed spirit, I stepped outside this morning and blurted out loud, "Bless this house."

I kinda shocked myself, then smiled, took a deep breath, and listed to the birds in the cool(er) morning air. I was suddenly joyful.

Doesn't attitude make a world of difference?

I was also reminded of how important it is to bless my family with my words. Words are beautiful, too.

Now, I had fantastic parents that love me very much, so please don't get me wrong. But many of my childhood memories lack spoken blessings. I was surrounded by complainers and those that compare,  and gossipers -at some point or another. I think that I am still seeing the effects of those words. I don't believe compliments easily. I have a hard time receiving other people's blessings. Words killed my hope. Thank God for His redemption.

So, even on the days that I cannot provide physical beauty for my family, on the days that I have loads of laundry to fold, nasty toilets, burnt up flowers in the yard, and I serve frozen pizza while I still have pajamas on, I can speak blessings over my family. This kind of beauty may just produce more beauty... and continue for the rest of their lives. It's like planting seeds of goodness.

And I probably shouldn't stop in my own house. People need to be encouraged.

Fill your home with beautiful words.

Mission Statement

I'm a little nervous.

I am convicted that I should write more with the purpose of teaching.

Now, I know that some have commented that I want to teach about my faith, and that is partially true. I am passionate about my faith and so it comes out frequently. However, my purpose for writing has been more of a processing technique for me. I have learned so much about what I believe because I have written it out, and at the same time I get excited about it so I want to share in case it would bless someone else.

But now I feel like I should teach more about what I think is beneficial for my family, and possibly for someone else's from experience. That was my original intent anyway. I get sidetracked easily.

I feel inadequate because I know "expert" does not describe me. Teacher, maybe. Obedient is what I hope to be.

*****************

I am working on ideas for my Home Project, including Household Administration. I think this could be an entire degree program, but no one would ever pay to learn about it because it makes ZERO money.

Anyway, before we can do anything else, we need a family mission statement. I attended a workshop on this last April.

Since then, we have had several family and parent meetings. Now we have an end result.

I used the notes from my workshop, but if you are interested, Franklin Covey has a mission statement builder here.

This is what we did:

1. We had a family meeting brainstorming what characteristics we would like to have as a family. It was a long list because the girls listed all the My Little Pony elements they could think of (minus magic). We also had to explain what some of these words meant (Generosity, Loyalty). They listed the fruit of the spirit, and others came up in the middle.

2. We (Sook and I) looked up verses for and summarized for : family, Christian characteristics, marriage, and children. A good concordance or study Bible would help for this.

3. For the same categories, we listed our unique family gifts, passions, and priorities. Some of these included having fun together, remaining loyal to each other, valuing each other, and growing strong together so that we can bless others.

4. Taking  2 and 3 together, we made an outline for our mission statement.

5. I wrote it. It was long. Some will be short and sweet. Some will be longer. Every family is different.

6. I wrote it on canvas and hung it up on the wall, along with a few Bible verses that were appropriate.

A few things I learned about and love about this project:

• God made unique individuals and unique families. Don't think just because another family serves in one way that yours should too. It was fun to pray, dream, and discover our families purpose.
• This takes a while. It should not be rushed, but should be done in a timely manner because of the benefits.
• I loved how it brought us a little closer together.
• It provides us some direction for future decisions.
• It has already been used to teach our children character.
• It always goes back to God's word, which is our foundation. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
• It started a precedent of discussing important issues with the family with Sook as our leader.

and finally,

• I had a good excuse to paint something.

He's The Music, I'm The Lyrics

One movie we agree on is Music and Lyrics. It's not family friendly- we just like it.

I don't think that I will ever master how marriage works, but after ten years I have a better understanding.

I plan, I compose the day, I set goals, I make the meals (mostly), I am in charge over almost everything about this family.... but the art of it all is my planning is not the end of the matter. How this family environment works is ultimately up to the music....Dad.

The music can take the words in different directions, imply feeling, and enhance expression. It can make the lyrics or bring them to no meaning at all.

This has frustrated me at times, but alas, it is refreshing for me to put my thoughts, plans, and ideas out there and just see what happens. The responsibility of the end is his....and if he fails, it's God's, who is also the inspiration of the words.

We make a good team...me, him, and God. I wonder where this will take us in the next 10 years.

Now to His who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.... Ephesians 3:20

Kudos to Daddy

Daddy has been saying, "Let's go somewhere" quite often lately.

We are loving it.

At the homeschool conference, I learned a little about writing a family mission statement. We are going to spend some time on this and Savannah is out of town this week, but I asked Sook his thoughts on it. His first response was, "I want to have fun together."

Good. So do I.

Here are a few things we've done together the last few days.


Saturday: Kaw Point Park, another check off the 8 wonders of Kansas: Geography.

Lewis and Clark stayed her for three days

with Clark's personal slave, York.

The Kansas (Kaw) River joins the Missouri. Downtown KC, MO is in the background.

And the cotton from the cottonwoods blew around us like snow.

Finding this place is like a maze through industrial KC, KS. Quite different from what Lewis and Clark saw!

Today it was our old standby, Deanna Rose Farmstead. But we don't get tired of it :)

Thank you, Sook, for joining us. It makes the day more fun...especially for me!