The RIDE



I have been dancing around the keyboard, failing to write but at least today, I have had some very good thoughts. Here I am thinking about sharing. To say that my insides have been spinning, would be true and that my outside circumstances are continually in a state of change are just as true. Living life is an exciting adventure we are climbing the big one and there is a nice flat curve right before the big drop.

Night before last there was such an amazing electrical storm. It lasted well over an hour. The power of nature . . .

Our life in the middle of our time
My husband and I educate our children at home, but I don't consider myself a homeschooler. At times, I may have lumped myself in with the classification of homeschoolers as a group but in my heart and mind, I don't consider myself a "teacher." Homeschooler? No. Trainer of life-long learners? That is what we are aiming for.
We believe in Jesus Christ and Him crucified and we are a part of the body of Christ, in the Word daily. Christians? Yes. Church goers? Not always.
Sometimes we live in an apartment, some times in a house, middle-class? Yes. Home owners? No. Yet, we find that we are living a dream. Don't know about you, but we are just passing through, it is ALL temporary housing.
We are both registered as independence, vote our conscience which does not always line up with the conservative bent. Libertarian? Perhaps. Free thinkers? Absolutely.
Saw the Bourne Ultimatum last weekend. Sometimes, I think a lot of people forget who they are and are beaten up by the world at times, cramped into boxes that they don't belong in and are at war searching for their true identity. I say with fire in my belly, don't give up the fight, don't let others define you, keep on searching, there will be others along the way who will help you and of course, there are enemies you can not see, but rise up, do not cower, be willing to get dirty and bloody.
This life is your one chance - make it count!

Winds of Change blowing through our "home"
We really didn't start sending our children off anywhere without us until they were 15. Grace has spent time away from home each summer since then and now she is on tour with Communicators for Christ (checkout the website to see when they will be in your area). It was wonderful to have a weekend in TN, getting to meet most of the other families and sending our young adults off with blessings (that was just over 2 weeks ago). Grace will be gone basically for the rest of 2007. WOW
Katie has spent the better part of a month at Patrick Henry College working on the production team for Advent Film Group (you can check out their website too). This opportunity came up right before we moved. So, we were not really prepared to send her off, but Katie was definitely up for the challenge.
The thing is we have never looked to get rid of our kids during the summertime. It is during those times that are really trying, that we need to have our kids with us, work through and help them get through the growing process. In the short run it is probably easier to just send the trying teenagers and let other people deal with them, or perhaps you send them off to do educational things and that's really "admirable."
Now, the truth is our girls have been ready to test their wings. It is right for them to go out and be willing to place themselves under someone else and learn from someone other than their parents without becoming confused. As a dear friend of ours, David Moon said, we have discipled our kids and they are now ready to be salt and light in the world. And they both will be coming back to the nest for more preparation.
Needless to say, it has been interesting and quieter around here without Grace and Katie and for me to be outnumbered by the men. We are enjoying our time with Michael and all three of us miss them but we have peace about what the girls are doing, we pray for them, talk on the phone here and there and exchange the occasional email. I am sure there is more to it than this but I just wanted you to see the affects of the wind not experience its depth. (besides that is really hard to describe.)

Counting on our Fellow Pilgrims
Grace had said we haven't missed a move yet, so I wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it on the computer monitor. Well, we came pretty close, just kidding. Some interesting things happened during this particular move that had never happened before, in fact there are things that occur on each move that are unique to each particular time. First, the furniture guys came while we were still packing up the van. Basically, that meant we needed to stay out of their way while they got all the furniture out. It is amazing how quickly they do this. Shortly after that and right as we were finishing up the electricity shut off which meant the AC was off and it gets pretty hot when you are in and out and it is late June and you are in Florida.

Dan had to run a quick errand so I found myself sitting on the floor of our empty apartment in Gainesville and realize that the clock above my head is mine. I almost left it behind. Sure, I could replace it but I am glad I came back in, only briefly, I don't remember why. This is our traveling clock, our address changes often and it is nice to have a few things that hang on the wall to remind us we are "home." It was just over a month ago and so much has happened since then.

There is something that I am really bad about and that is writing about the people we encounter along the way. I do write about it in my journal - that is when I remember to write in my journal. I can not tell you how many times I have said, I am going to write about this interaction or that. How this person and that person impacted us. It has been nearly 5 years so if I get going right now, I will probably be able to get everyone who the Lord has put in our path.
If I make time to write at least a few times a week.
This morning I woke up thinking about Teresa Russell from Jacksonville, FL. No we have never lived there but it was the last place we stayed in the Sunshine state. I met Teresa at the CFC conference last August in Tallahassee, FL. While I was working the bookstore, Teresa and her friend Charlotte (now my friend too) picked my brain for about 3 hours about the ins and outs of a speech and debate club.

Teresa had said if you are heading this way to get out of Florida stay with us. When people offer, we usually take them up on it. Over the years we have learned that it is best to just drive a little bit on that first day (90 miles in this case) because when we finally have all our stuff packed and the apartment cleaned up thoroughly we are usually pretty pooped. There was hopes of arriving in Jax late afternoon and doing something fun with the Russells but we were delayed. We did arrive before the sun set which was a blessing.

Let me say that our dear sister Teresa opened her heart and home to us. We had a tremendous time of fellowship during our less than 24 hour visit. The fact that she actually knows (meaning she has lived in the Metro west of Eastern MA) where we are from, endeared her to me from the start. But honestly, Teresa is a sweetheart who was willing to put herself aside in more way than I can say in order to have us stay with her and we were blessed. Do you ever have people just move into your heart and make a comfortable space for themselves and you just can help but embrace them because it was as if there name had already been written there? I have many times, these are the eternal riches of life. I wouldn't want to miss them. I believe that all our days were written in a book before one of them came to pass. Each morning we pick up where we left the bookmark, on occasion we turn back to yesterday and say, thank you Lord and other times I am sorry Lord help me make this right, own the wrong I have done and take care of my side of the street.

So glancing back at the end of the last chapter, I just wanted to say that I am so grateful for my friend Teresa Russell from Jacksonville Florida.
PS I didn't forget about the winds of change.