The Blessings Rise

I've been thinking a lot about Proverbs 31:28 these days.  The first half of it says, "Her children arise and call her blessed."  What I've been wondering about is when the blessing will come?!  Because right now, I'm in the stage of life when my children just arise and call me.  In the middle of the night.  In the middle of an argument.  In the middle of a new discovery.  "Her children arise and call her..."  And in reality, they usually want me to "arise."  They're comfortable right where they are and have no regard for whatever I might be engaged in.  In that moment, I'm expected to rise and come to them.

So, it's helpful to remember the blessings of this season...even though the verbal blessings of my children will likely come (way) down the road.  Blessings:  The opportunity I have to comfort in the middle of the night.  The opportunity I have to influence in the middle of an argument.  The opportunity I have to celebrate in their new discoveries.  The fact that I have children to interrupt and disrupt me in the first place is a blessing I try not to lose sight of...because "I prayed for this child (these children, in my case), and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."  (I Sam 1:27)

And I can take immediate solace in the remainder of Prov. 31:28.  The whole thing reads, "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."  For the blessings that often seem absent from my children, my sweet husband more than makes up for them!  Truly, I am blessed.

Things I've Learned at the Kardia Academy

Well, we wrapped up our school year a couple weeks ago!  I haven't been so excited about summer break since I was a kid!  Now that I have all this free time (ha!), I've been trying to process this past year.  I'd like to bring it to you all neatly packaged with lots of pictures and witty captions, but that's just not going to happen.  So here are some unfiltered thoughts.  If I can find the time to do it, more may come later.

1) We did it!!...and for the most part, I enjoyed it!  Like most homeschoolers, I am alternately plagued with feelings of "I can do this!" and feelings of "what ever gave me the notion that I could do this?!"  It's led to lots of dependence on God, communication with Eric and cooperation with Sandra.  Good things.

2) I thrive on structure.  I don't mean structure in the sense that every minute is planned.  I tried that kind of schedule in college and it just didn't work for me.  I need a good skeleton to work with, though.  (This fact has actually been confirmed since school ended and we haven't really had much structure to our days.  Working on that.)

3) By and large, our homeschooling goals were accomplished.  Namely, a more relaxed schedule, more time together as a family and more time for Sandra to just be a kid.

Okay.  That's it for now.  Nothing too profound, I know.  Here are a couple cute picture for you, though.  My kids went to VBS in GA with their cousins Trey, Denver and Gabe.  Fun times!