Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY: September 14, 2012

Outside my window...the grass is green again and small children are playing.  Our family seems to grow every day once school is done and the neighbor kids come over.  The swingset is quite a magnet, but that means I can see and hear most of what they are doing.  There are some wonderful friendships blossoming!

I am thinking...how funny it is that I have one child who insists she will never marry and another who walks around talking like this:

"When I grow up, I'm going to marry a woman who loves God.  I can't wait to be a dad."

How can two polar opposites be in the same family??

I am thankful...that a friend who teaches at our local high school has shared that the students are doing very well this week.  Our community is amazing in the way they have shown support, and many of these kids will be closer to each other and their teachers because of what they have been through.

In the kitchen...experiments resume as I learn to cook without sugar or chocolate.  This time I'm the one with the food sensitivities, which recently became much more obvious after going gluten free for the summer.  A recent trip to the doctor was confirming when I heard, "Well, I think it sounds like you are gluten intolerant..."  Someone reminded me of this great website to check out!  My grocery cart looks so different than it did two years ago when this journey started.  We eat more whole foods all the time, and keep feeling better and better when we do.

I am wearing...jeans and enjoying the cool breeze coming in the windows.  Summer is losing its tight hold on us, and we are so glad to see it go this year.

I am creating...a homemade gluten free pizza for supper.  There is really nothing better than the Italian sausage from our health food store as a topping.  Even while trying to cut our grocery bill down, that splurge will remain.

I am going...with my family to Springfield next weekend to sit at a table to pass out Feingold information to interested people at an early childhood conference.  This diet has helped not just Josiah but our whole family so much, and it will be a joy to give back some of my time to share that with others.  Of course, we have to stay and visit the Lincoln Museum while we're there, and I've found a Chipotle where we can eat!

I am wondering...why so many people seem to worry about socialization when it comes to homeschooling kids.  The mom's socialization is the one we should be worried about.  Time to call a friend!

I am reading...Old Yeller.  I've avoided it for years since I knew it had a sad ending, but Rachel will be reading it later this year so it's finally time to face it.  I'm thinking it might be a good one for us to read together, even though it's not an official read aloud. 

I am hoping...that the making much of Leah I have sensed lately can be transformed into making much of God.

I am looking forward to...delving into our new grammar program, starting next week.  Hopes are high, but time will tell.  I know it's weird, but I really do love grammar.  Yes, the kids think I am weird, too.

I am learning... to trust that the place God has me right now is His best for me.  Last year I ached every day for the things I gave up to homeschool the kids.  That's not to say I don't love every minute of teaching them!  This year I am seeing more of what God may have in mind for these years, and am finding peace in His sovereign purposes.  These years with my kids are fleeting and I don't know how long this season of life will last.  One day I will ache for these moments, so my aim is to enjoy them and give them up to the Lord as a sweet offering as I serve Him in this task.

Around the house...Eric has been hard at work, replacing an outdated and too-often running toilet, our bathroom medicine cabinet, blinds, and other tasks.  The bigger project, a new kitchen floor, awaits our attention.  We're waiting while we watch our savings grow for that one.

I am pondering...that as much we may fear for our children's outward safety, their greatest danger could be the deception of their own heart. 

A favorite quote for today..."One thing I ask of hte Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!'  Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Ps. 28:4, 8)

One of my favorite things...is opening up my Bible and digging into a book with a notebook in one hand and a commentary in the other.  Well, that might take more hands than I have, but spending time with the Lord like that is simply the best!  That's not to say it is always easy.  There is a reason why Hebrews refers to God's word as being "sharper than any double edged sword...judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

A few plans for the rest of the week: Josiah's soccer game and celebrating my great grandma's 100th birthday tomorrow.

From the learning rooms: It has been amazing to watch my kindergartner grow into what is expected of him this fall. The things I feared in homeschooling him have just not come to pass.

Yet for all my enthusiasm and joy, there are hard days, too.  Sometimes I wonder how to really reach into the areas of struggle for one of my children in a way that will make a difference.  It reminds me that joy or pain, I am not in this journey alone and I need to prayerfully depend on the wisdom of One who knows much more than I do about how He has wired each of my children.

A peek into my day...

Gluten free pretzels!!!