This and That

I think that brings ya'll up to date on our week.....I did have time to read and finished another couple of books that I'll try to write up in the next day or so - maybe today.

One of the best things was journaling. I find that blogging has gotten me into the habit and I was driven to journal even out in nature, far from my computer. Last night I found I still wanted to WRITE and so I did. I'm not sure how blog and journal will mesh. When MY computer was working I did my journal in Word and also wrote blog entries in Word. Both were listed by dates and could be easily compiled into one. If I ever so desire. Without my computer, I've not been doing personal journaling. I need to do both.

A really beneficial thing I did while out in the "woods" was to sit down and think through what specific "project" I am focusing on for each of the children. I'd been WORKING the project but hadn't written it down. For the older 3, all adults now, it's more a matter of prayer and the occasional comment, rather than daily training. Mike and I went out Saturday night and walked and walked along the river. We shared. I told him my "projects" and he agreed and shared how he'd seen the same things. He even had a few catchy phrases that I have adopted rather than my long paragraph synopsis (or would that be synopsi or synaps). ::snort::

Maybe, I've lost some readers talking about projects. I'm not talking about building a bird house, compiling a scrapbook, or finishing a math text. Projects - specific areas of focus for mentoring and discipleship for each of our children. These are prayed over and I believe Holy Spirit impressed. We can't change everything at once; the shotgun approach hasn't worked well for us in parenting. Actively partnering with what we believe God is working on in each INDIVIDUAL has been effective. We pray about what character trait or personality issue or discipleship/doctrinal issue God would have us work on - and we focus on that. I try to evaluate these quarterly - usually ends up being more like twice a year. An example: years ago one project was "deception - lying/cheating etc" . First, the issue became a focus during my family fasts and prayer times. Second, we did a topical study. Third, I was aware of the opportunities the Holy Spirit opened for me to speak to that area. Fourth, as Mike and I are in agreement he also looks for those God-ordained teachable moments. God was faithful. Conviction, repentance, growth....that is not a project for any of the children this year. We try hard not to ONLY look at behavior but the heart issue behind the behavior.....this is one tool we use in our endeavor to be a pastor's family that doesn't raise children who are inoculated to the gospel or practicing pharisees.

Blog - got to thinking what a strange place a blog is. It's really an intersection of many parts of my life. I don't know that many of you would ever meet or particularly "gel" if you did meet.....but here...we can interact and think and learn and grow.....thinking how I have a huge group of online friends from years of owning/moderating SHS....and lots of my friends would never CONSIDER homeschooling and they also read here....family....crunchies and junk food junkies....Christians and not...friends from MT, TX, AK....military and pacifists...readers/friends from America, Germany, England, Middle East, South and Pacific NW...local friends and far away friends...and lately I'm meeting folks who I don't know but have been referred here and for some reason enjoy experiencing our chaotic slice of life...a blog is a strange thing.....

If you wonder what we did Monday - besides posting photos ::snort:: - it was another project day. We took care of warranty issues on the trailer and registration issues. I caught up on laundry. Mike fixed the weed eater. We installed Incredibles back on to a computer. I went shopping and cooked a meal. Josiah had a manager's meeting at work. I went to Curves (today as well). Mike got a couple of calls and may go in to work today instead of waiting until Wednesday. I scrubbed the kids' bathroom - gotta remember the girls aren't here to do that weekly. ::snort:: Mike took ALL the children out geocaching after dinner and I tried to sleep. I think I need a second project with Stacia - totally behavioral - SLEEP LIKE A HUMAN.