A Little of this, A Little of That

Well, we are nearing the end of our first TV free week.  I have to say, it hasn’t been too bad.  Of course, the fact that we’ve already been without internet for 2 ½ weeks (which means no Netflix or Amazon Prime) helped us get used to not having a lot of the shows we would normally watch.  And having VBS every night (which is when most of the TV watching happens) has also helped.  God really blessed us with a busy, so therefore fairly easy, first no TV week.  One of the hardest times (and yes, I am admitting my poor parenting skills for the whole world to know) is when the kids eat lunch.  See, I let the kids eat lunch while they watch one of their shows, and then I eat upstairs and read a book.  That, most times, is the only time I have to just sit and read and not feel guilty about not doing the laundry or the dishes, etc.  I have missed that time (because, well, I really like to read), but we’ve been using that time this week to finish up the read aloud portions of our history book, so it hasn’t been a total loss!  One of the things we learned today I was even able to put into the VBS lesson this evening!  Kevin and I usually will watch a show or two after we have put the kids to bed, which I thought would be hard to give up, but I have been so exhausted every night when I got home from VBS that I just fell right into bed and fell asleep.  Again, I am pretty sure that was all by God’s design just to help me make it through this first week!  He is such a loving God who knows just what we need…even when it’s to be totally exhausted by 3 hours singing praises with children!

We still have no internet and I am trying really hard to see the blessing here (other than the one I stated in the previous paragraph…so far that’s really the only one I am seeing!)  I am sure there is a lesson I am to be learning here, and I am pretty sure I am not learning it seeing as how I still can’t see the good in this.  Oh, hey, I just thought of another blessing from this…just another week and a half without internet and I will have saved myself one whole month’s payment!  That’s money that can be used in so many other ways to serve others instead of myself.  Lord, thanks for making the ugly beautiful (especially since this ugly is really nothing in comparison to what others are facing.)

I’ve had a great time at VBS this week.  The songs are fun and catchy (some might even make me a little teary).  The kids are so full of energy!  Man, I will sleep hard come Friday night, for sure!  It has also made me really thankful this week that the Lord has allowed me to see how He has been growing me as a “teacher” (and yes, I use that term VERY LOOSELY in reference to myself!) since I started homeschooling.  A year or two ago, you wouldn’t catch me doing a lick of teaching in any way, shape or form.  This year I had a blast working up a very small, short lesson for Kidz Choir each week for each song we were learning and I had a really fun time reminding the kids of their stories each night as they came to music at VBS.  Now, don’t get me wrong, none of these were stellar lessons and no awards will be given (so thankful that in both cases kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, Megan Craig, was with me to help break down anything that was still a little over the kids’ heads), but even a year ago I couldn’t have done that.  There’s even been once or twice I was able to throw something together kind of at the last minute, which does not happen for this girl!  I don’t improv well on stage and I do an even worse job improving (Is that even a word?  How is it spelled?).  This girl needs a script, yet God has grown me so much in the last two years that I was able to spend an entire week at VBS helping lead opening and closing without one and helping to lead pre-school music without one.  I know this probably seems so small to many of you, but this is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge to me!  One, I know that I couldn’t do this at all if we hadn’t stepped out in obedience and started homeschooling where I was forced to do this on a daily basis, and two, so often I just feel like I am getting nowhere when it comes to God.  I feel like I desire to be better and desire to serve more and give more and love more, but yet, nothing ever changes.  This has been such an encouragement that I have changed, but sometimes, those changes take time.  I am still not so great at the whole lesson plan thing, but God has blessed me with being part of the Family Quest team and with the help of those wonderful ladies and the sweet Jess Corkern, I am slowly learning that, too!

Lord, thank You for opening my eyes to Your work in me and around me.  Lord, thank You that You never fail.  Thank You that You never change.  Thank You for being patient and loving, yet You discipline when you need to, all to bring me back to You.  Lord, help me to be more like You as I serve my family as wife and mother, and as I serve others as an ambassador for You.