Two and a half weeks ago, our life was disrupted. During the night, intruders entered our home through an upstairs window, stole all of our laptop computers (including two client computers), Blueray player, my debit cards and my car keys, loaded all of our stuff up in our van and stole it also. While they were in the house, they opened the door to my mother-in-law's room. Her dog started growling and barking, but she didn't realize it was a stranger.....she was half asleep and thought it was our son.
When I woke up at 4:45am that morning, I saw my emptied purse in the hallway and the front door standing wide open. I yelled for my husband that someone had been in our home and we called the police. I still get the creeps thinking about a stranger standing just outside our bedroom door while we slept blissfully on the other side. (It actually may have been the grace of God that allowed us to sleep through this. Imagine the shock of waking to SEE someone in your home!) Later as we were cleaning up, we discovered that the thieves left a loaded bb gun behind. It looked like a real gun. It is a good thing for them that they didn't get shot by someone who thought it was real.
Why did this happen? I don't know. But I do know that while alot of our things were taken, our lives were still protected by God. I am reminded of the Scripture "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) While I don't believe that God wanted this to happen, I do believe that He can and will use ANYTHING that happens to us for our good. Not sure what good will come out of this, but I believe that it will.
One of the things that God is teaching me through this experience is about forgiveness. God doesn't say forgive those who are sorry, or repentant, or are worthy of forgiveness. No, we are to forgive BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF has forgiven us. Forgiveness is more for our benefit than that of those whom we must forgive. Not that it's easy. I have to continue to ask God to help me to be obedient to Him and to help me to forgive. But I have made the choice to forgive.
Does that mean that if the people are caught that I will not press charges? Not at all. I believe that is a natural consequence of the actions they chose to take. Sometimes its through experiencing the consequences of our actions that we get to the place where we realize we need Jesus.
Am I still struggling with frustration, anxiety and irritation over this situation. Absolutely. Am I committed to forgive and move on with my life. ABSOLUTELY!!!!
Our friends, family and clients have been wonderful, helpful and so supportive of us. God has truly blessed us!
This is a blog about the things God is doing in my life. Maybe this is just something I need to do for myself, or maybe it will be a source of encouragement to others. Either way....God is good.....ALL the time.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
First Week of School
We survived and thrived during our first week of our Senior Year of homeschooling! We rearranged our schoolroom and here is the final result.
It's amazing how just rearranging furniture and getting rid of clutter can give you energy and enthusiasm for your regular, everyday activities!
Our special challenge was organizing our schoolroom in such a way as to accommodate school, my job, and a teen hangout area, all in the same area.
It's still a work in progress. Lots more clutter to get rid of, but it's progress. I'll post more pictures as we get each area set up.
For now, I'm showing you just the school and work areas.
This is my teacher's homeschool desk, and our homeschool book shelf. The drawers are filled with school supplies.
I am a book-a-holic AND a school/office supply addict. I love to think of ways to organize myself......but not so good in the implementation.
Can't tell you how many books I have read on organizing. If only I could implement the ideas by osmosis.
These are the curriculum choices we have made for this year.
Chemistry w/lab - Apologia
Geometry - Teaching Textbooks
English - Abeka
American History (part 2) - Notgrass
Government - Notgrass
Consumer Finance/Economics - Whatever
Happened to Penny Candy and
Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal
Finance (2nd Semester)
Creative Writing - One Year Adventure Novel
The week was not perfect. In fact, it was pretty messy. But our goal for the week was to get started in all of our subjects and to see how long each class would take us per day in order to set up a regular work schedule. Joey and I both do better with a regular schedule
This is what we came up with for our schedule. Subject to change. :)
We tend to stay on task better if we have at least a rough plan.
This next week will be our first week of co-op for the year. We are participating in Government and Consumer Finance/Economics through our co-op group. I am teaching one 6 week session of Consumer Finance/Economics and one 6 week session of Government. Pray for me. Seriously. And for the kids. Also seriously.
Although homeschooling for highschool can seem like a daunting task, it is really no different than any other thing that God calls us to do. We have to recognize that we can't do it alone.....that we need HIS help. And we have to believe that he will help us.
Another Scripture that I am relying on is Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.
Till next time..........................................
Our special challenge was organizing our schoolroom in such a way as to accommodate school, my job, and a teen hangout area, all in the same area.
For now, I'm showing you just the school and work areas.
I am a book-a-holic AND a school/office supply addict. I love to think of ways to organize myself......but not so good in the implementation.
Can't tell you how many books I have read on organizing. If only I could implement the ideas by osmosis.
Chemistry w/lab - Apologia
Geometry - Teaching Textbooks
English - Abeka
American History (part 2) - Notgrass
Government - Notgrass
Consumer Finance/Economics - Whatever
Happened to Penny Candy and
Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal
Finance (2nd Semester)
Creative Writing - One Year Adventure Novel
The week was not perfect. In fact, it was pretty messy. But our goal for the week was to get started in all of our subjects and to see how long each class would take us per day in order to set up a regular work schedule. Joey and I both do better with a regular scheduleThis is what we came up with for our schedule. Subject to change. :)
We tend to stay on task better if we have at least a rough plan.
This next week will be our first week of co-op for the year. We are participating in Government and Consumer Finance/Economics through our co-op group. I am teaching one 6 week session of Consumer Finance/Economics and one 6 week session of Government. Pray for me. Seriously. And for the kids. Also seriously.
Although homeschooling for highschool can seem like a daunting task, it is really no different than any other thing that God calls us to do. We have to recognize that we can't do it alone.....that we need HIS help. And we have to believe that he will help us.
Another Scripture that I am relying on is Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.
Till next time..........................................
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
New Beginnings
My blog, like my journal, is sometimes a sporadic event. I've always struggled with consistency, but occasionally, I am inspired to write something down. No frequency promises, but after all, this IS my journey, consistent or not.
One of my most favorite things to do is to sit down with a cup of coffee and read. Read, read, read. If that makes me a boring nerd, so be it. I believe it enriches my life. And I love enjoying my java. If you want, grab a cup and I'll tell you what's on my mind today. If not, that's fine too. I'll never know. :)
You know how in life there are different cycles.....the seasons of weather, the seasons of life. I believe the fall is the beginning of some new cycles for me and my family as well.
For one, we will be entering our 6th year of homeschooling our youngest son, who is 17. Although there have been ups and downs, I would say that overall, there have been more ups. This was a good fit for him. Our oldest two kids went to public school, so I am not "all down on" public school because I believe there are many fine schools and many wonderful teachers out there. It just wasn't a good fit for our youngest because he had some special needs that were not being addressed. Homeschool has worked out very nicely for him.
Another new beginning is that our daughter, who has spent the summer on a mission trip to Thailand, will be returning to the U.S. and going back to college for her JUNIOR year! Wow. How can that be possible? She will also be moving into an apartment on campus, so that will be new to her as well.
We are beginning a new Bible study in our Sunday School (Oops, I believe the politically correct term at our church is Connection Class). We will be studying the book of Philippians. One of my favorites! My husband is our teacher, so I get the added blessing of discussions with him as a preview.
My sweet mother-in-law (mother-in-love) lives with us and her new beginning is her new knees! She just had her 2nd knee replacement of the year, so she will probably be running around and doing jumping jacks in no time. (Just kidding Momma Z!)
Our business also entered our 4th year doing business. My husband and I own an I.T. business. We provide I.T. services for small to medium sized businesses who do not have their own I.T. departments. It is fun.....and a challenge....and sometimes really hard.....and alot of work......and a blessing......and our adventure, all rolled up into one. Our oldest son works for us, so that has been really neat! He just got his A+ certification this spring and is looking towards more computer certifications to further his knowledge.
I feel very blessed that God has made it possible for me to be a keeper of my home, work from home and school from home. I enjoy being around my family......well.......most of the time! :) Seriously, I truly love having everyone close by.
We are also blessed with 3 dogs.......ours (Mitzi) - a black and tan dachshund, our son's (BuBu Kitty - Yes, that's her real name - weird I know, but she is so cute!) - a tan and white piebald dachshund, and my M-I-L's (Toby) - a white schnauzer/poodle mix. Yep. We are a dog family, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm not proficient at blogging, but I'm trying to learn. You should NEVER stop learning, right? My kids may think it's HILARIOUS that their mom has a blog (go on kids, yuck it up), but maybe some of my experiences will be encouraging to someone, somewhere, somehow.
Anyway, my coffee is gone, so bye for now!
One of my most favorite things to do is to sit down with a cup of coffee and read. Read, read, read. If that makes me a boring nerd, so be it. I believe it enriches my life. And I love enjoying my java. If you want, grab a cup and I'll tell you what's on my mind today. If not, that's fine too. I'll never know. :)
You know how in life there are different cycles.....the seasons of weather, the seasons of life. I believe the fall is the beginning of some new cycles for me and my family as well.
For one, we will be entering our 6th year of homeschooling our youngest son, who is 17. Although there have been ups and downs, I would say that overall, there have been more ups. This was a good fit for him. Our oldest two kids went to public school, so I am not "all down on" public school because I believe there are many fine schools and many wonderful teachers out there. It just wasn't a good fit for our youngest because he had some special needs that were not being addressed. Homeschool has worked out very nicely for him.
Another new beginning is that our daughter, who has spent the summer on a mission trip to Thailand, will be returning to the U.S. and going back to college for her JUNIOR year! Wow. How can that be possible? She will also be moving into an apartment on campus, so that will be new to her as well.
We are beginning a new Bible study in our Sunday School (Oops, I believe the politically correct term at our church is Connection Class). We will be studying the book of Philippians. One of my favorites! My husband is our teacher, so I get the added blessing of discussions with him as a preview.
My sweet mother-in-law (mother-in-love) lives with us and her new beginning is her new knees! She just had her 2nd knee replacement of the year, so she will probably be running around and doing jumping jacks in no time. (Just kidding Momma Z!)
Our business also entered our 4th year doing business. My husband and I own an I.T. business. We provide I.T. services for small to medium sized businesses who do not have their own I.T. departments. It is fun.....and a challenge....and sometimes really hard.....and alot of work......and a blessing......and our adventure, all rolled up into one. Our oldest son works for us, so that has been really neat! He just got his A+ certification this spring and is looking towards more computer certifications to further his knowledge.
I feel very blessed that God has made it possible for me to be a keeper of my home, work from home and school from home. I enjoy being around my family......well.......most of the time! :) Seriously, I truly love having everyone close by.
We are also blessed with 3 dogs.......ours (Mitzi) - a black and tan dachshund, our son's (BuBu Kitty - Yes, that's her real name - weird I know, but she is so cute!) - a tan and white piebald dachshund, and my M-I-L's (Toby) - a white schnauzer/poodle mix. Yep. We are a dog family, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm not proficient at blogging, but I'm trying to learn. You should NEVER stop learning, right? My kids may think it's HILARIOUS that their mom has a blog (go on kids, yuck it up), but maybe some of my experiences will be encouraging to someone, somewhere, somehow.
Anyway, my coffee is gone, so bye for now!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Snow Days
We are in day 3 of a HUGE winter storm. Seems our city pretty much shut down for a few days, since we are not accustomed to this much snow. Although many people are definitely getting cabin fever, I can't honestly say that I am. True, my husband took me to the post office today, but other than that, I've been home since Monday.
Sometimes, it is just nice to have the fast pace of life interrupted for a few days of being snowed in. Although I am DEFINITELY NOT a winter person, I have enjoyed the week.
Our family spends quite a bit of time at home. You see, we work out of our home (own our own small I.T. business) and we homeschool our youngest son. You might think we'd be going stir crazy wanting to get out of the house, and sometimes we are. But this week has been different.
As homeschoolers, we don't really take snow days, but we did take it easy and have some fun reading time, lots of hot chocolate and cider, and plenty of baked goods. My 16 year old enjoyed staying in his comfy pj's for school today.
Since our business office is in our home, we didn't even really stop work, but not being able to "run around" enabled us to get caught up on a few things. This week has caused me to think about how, even in the middle of winter, we can have a warm "oasis".
I think God is teaching me that the same is true when I go through a spiritual "winter". Sometimes slowing down, focusing on what really matters, and making the best of a situation can be a true oasis in the middle of our trials. Sure we can have a pity party, have lots of negative drama about how much of a disturbance this is to our life, and generally make ourselves and those around us miserable. Or, we can slow down, look for something to be thankful for, and focus on what really matters.
Admittedly, there are some storms that are much more severe than others.....even life threatening. I don't mean to make them seem like they are just a little bump in the road. Sometimes our winter can seem never ending and life changing. But we can rest assured that God will never let anything happen to us or our loved ones without it first going through His hands, and He will NEVER leave us on our own, but will walk with us, holding our hand, through the midst of our winter. Our winter may still feel bitterly cold, but we have a Warm Hand to hold onto. Winter will not last forever. Spring is just around the corner.
Sometimes, it is just nice to have the fast pace of life interrupted for a few days of being snowed in. Although I am DEFINITELY NOT a winter person, I have enjoyed the week.
Our family spends quite a bit of time at home. You see, we work out of our home (own our own small I.T. business) and we homeschool our youngest son. You might think we'd be going stir crazy wanting to get out of the house, and sometimes we are. But this week has been different.
As homeschoolers, we don't really take snow days, but we did take it easy and have some fun reading time, lots of hot chocolate and cider, and plenty of baked goods. My 16 year old enjoyed staying in his comfy pj's for school today.
Since our business office is in our home, we didn't even really stop work, but not being able to "run around" enabled us to get caught up on a few things. This week has caused me to think about how, even in the middle of winter, we can have a warm "oasis".
I think God is teaching me that the same is true when I go through a spiritual "winter". Sometimes slowing down, focusing on what really matters, and making the best of a situation can be a true oasis in the middle of our trials. Sure we can have a pity party, have lots of negative drama about how much of a disturbance this is to our life, and generally make ourselves and those around us miserable. Or, we can slow down, look for something to be thankful for, and focus on what really matters.
Admittedly, there are some storms that are much more severe than others.....even life threatening. I don't mean to make them seem like they are just a little bump in the road. Sometimes our winter can seem never ending and life changing. But we can rest assured that God will never let anything happen to us or our loved ones without it first going through His hands, and He will NEVER leave us on our own, but will walk with us, holding our hand, through the midst of our winter. Our winter may still feel bitterly cold, but we have a Warm Hand to hold onto. Winter will not last forever. Spring is just around the corner.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Multiple Blessings Today
I am feeling very blessed today! Today, our family is celebrating two very special occasions.....our youngest son's 16th birthday, and our 25th anniversary!
Children grow up so quickly. It doesn't always seem like it when they are little, but when they hit school age, something happens and the time literally begins to fly by. I have been blessed to have 3 wonderful children! I am also blessed to be able to spend extra time with our youngest in our homeschooling adventure. Happy Birthday Joey!
I also feel very blessed not only to be celebrating 25 years of marriage, but that after those 25 years, my husband is still my best friend! He is truly the spiritual leader in our home. He is a man who loves God and loves others. He is such a hard worker and strives to represent God's love in everything he does. He is also a loving Dad to our three children.
If you were to ask me what I believe the key to a wonderful marriage is, I would have to say both people loving and being committed to Christ and to each other. The closer we have grown to Jesus, the more we are able to love each other.
This is not to say that our marriage has had it easy all of these years. We have had our share of ups and downs. A former Sunday School teacher of mine who has been married for more than 50 years once told me that even after being married for that long, they still work at their marriage every day.
In the movie "Parenthood", there is a scene depicting life being like a rollercoaster. That really rang true with us. There are times when you feel like you will lose your lunch, and there are times when you are exhilarated. But I can honestly say....."It's been a great ride!"
Children grow up so quickly. It doesn't always seem like it when they are little, but when they hit school age, something happens and the time literally begins to fly by. I have been blessed to have 3 wonderful children! I am also blessed to be able to spend extra time with our youngest in our homeschooling adventure. Happy Birthday Joey!
I also feel very blessed not only to be celebrating 25 years of marriage, but that after those 25 years, my husband is still my best friend! He is truly the spiritual leader in our home. He is a man who loves God and loves others. He is such a hard worker and strives to represent God's love in everything he does. He is also a loving Dad to our three children.
If you were to ask me what I believe the key to a wonderful marriage is, I would have to say both people loving and being committed to Christ and to each other. The closer we have grown to Jesus, the more we are able to love each other.
This is not to say that our marriage has had it easy all of these years. We have had our share of ups and downs. A former Sunday School teacher of mine who has been married for more than 50 years once told me that even after being married for that long, they still work at their marriage every day.
In the movie "Parenthood", there is a scene depicting life being like a rollercoaster. That really rang true with us. There are times when you feel like you will lose your lunch, and there are times when you are exhilarated. But I can honestly say....."It's been a great ride!"
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Out with the Old, In With The New
December 30, 2010
It’s funny how the end of a year brings on the desire to journal and make changes (or resolutions). Stores and magazines have all kinds of products and suggestions for how to “organize” your life.
There’s also something about the end of one year and the beginning of another that gives us the breathing room to take a look at our lives and see what we have to be thankful for and what we need to change.
I’m very leery of New Years Resolutions because it almost seems as if I’m setting myself up for failure. How many resolutions have I made and then broken. I think that may cause more damage than anything.
Instead, I think I will try to start fresh every day. Who says you have to wait until January 1st, or the beginning of a new day, week, or month to begin again after “falling off the wagon” so to speak. Each day has many opportunities for new beginnings.
Therefore, if I eat something fattening for lunch, it does not give me the license to “blow it” the rest of the day. I can restart my healthy eating plan (no diets here)immediately after. If I don’t get to exercise one day, I can begin again the next (or even later that evening)!
I also tend to dwell on my regrets instead of taking the steps to actually minimize damage done or change the future. Why is that? Do we all do this to some degree? Events of the past cannot be changed, but attitudes and actions for the future can.
So, here’s to a new year of fresh beginnings, fresh attitudes, and fresh hope!
Happy New Year!
Shellie
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