"I am guiding you on the way of wisdom and I am leading you on the right path." Proverbs 4:11

Month: August 2013

Things i Learned in August

  

 

At the end of the month, for the past few months, Emily Freeman has been writing about what she learned and has invited other’s to link up and share what they have learned.  This is my first time joining a link up-and i am excited to share!

 1.  Raisons dance in ginger ale.  This one from my son’s 5th grade science class-there is a scientific explanation having to do with molecules and such.  what i don’t know is it has to be ginger ale or if any carbonated beverage will do. 

2.  Riding bikes to school is a GREAT idea.

3.  I will not cry when i drop off my boys the first day of school (which this year happens to be the first day of school outside of home ever for the youngest) because it means that i have some quality time with my freshman who starts school a week later.  But i will cry when i drop my daughter off.  Because for the first time in 13 years i now have time all alone.  i am delighted and sad all at the same time.

4.  I can survive walking through hundreds of high school kids eating lunch at the age of 40-much easier than i did at the age of 14!

5.  It is possible to have a pilot’s license before you have your driver’s license.  Some even set it as their goal to solo for their 16th birthday.  so possibly in 3 years i will be driving my daughter to the airport so that she can pilot me around the sky in an airplane!

6.  i will not be able to guess who said this: 

“For once you have tasted flight,

You will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward;

For there you have been,

And there you long to return.”

7.  there is a side of Leonardo da Vinci that i never knew. Not only is he who said the above quote, but i learned this about him:

“One of history’s creative geniuses was Leonardo da Vinci; an artist, scientist, and dreamer who was fascinated with flight.  He spent countless hours studying the flight of birds and his 15th century manuscripts contained approximately 160 pages of descriptioins and sketches of flying machines.”  -Jeppesen Private Pilot Textbook 2007 p.1-2

 8.  I will never cease being excited about learning-i will just express it differently now.  This is encouraging in the season i am currently in.  i have homeschooled each of my children at one point in their lives, but this year all 3 of them will be going somewhere else for school.

9.  Sometimes a person is drawn closer to God because i show up.  sometimes a person is drawn closer to God because i do not show up.  ultimately He gets credit for drawing a person to Himself-and so i can find peace in those moments when i feel His Spirit nudge me to turn off my phone and REST.  and when i doubt He gives me this conversation;

me: “i’m sorry i missed your call”

her: “that’s ok, i was struggling (to stay sober) but you didn’t answer so i picked up my Bible and ended up reading the entire book of James, and now all the cravings are gone and i feel much better. 

me: i have no idea what i actually said but inside i shouted; “Hallelujah!” glad i didn’t get in the way of that!

10.  Gut wrenching, pee your pants laughter with your husband is a GREAT idea too.  Netflix and Everybody loves Raymond.  Season 6 episode 13 “Tissues”.  your welcome.

11.  Another facet in the diamond of God’s Grace-His leading .  This learning to let go of  ‘earning’ (the try hard life as Emily Freeman calls it, or getting it right’ as Larry Crabb would say.)  for me it’s layers of enlightenment and new patterns of thinking.  This month-today actually -the new layer is related to the Grace of His guidance;

“  Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.  psalm 139:7-10

12. And finally-that i can do one of these link ups!  It took all of 5 minutes to figure it out thanks to thenester’s practice page!  

 

Freedom

Freedom

We head off to a funeral.  the Papa’s life lived leaves room for debate on what really constitutes a life well lived.  while in the midst of all the events of the week, i don’t see what is different about us.  i only Thank God for the peace that has taken over my heart.  attending formal functions can be challenging for us-for anyone with children i suppose-as most children find using forks to be optional and wearing uncomfortable clothes to be stupid.

but upon reflection of this picture i move.

 from being thankful for peace in my heart to smile at my son’s chosen activity rather than panic in embarrassment (my more normal pattern). 

i move into awareness of his freedom. 

“life”  my dear friend declares when i show her the picture.

and my vision shifts and i look and i see it too. 

life here amongst death. 

for him, for us what is different is that there is no fear in death.

we are not afraid of it.  he is not afraid of it.

we walk among the graves and comment on the different dates and wonder about the lives lived and losses felt.

but my boy-he moves from there to the next logical place.

joy.

Oh Death where is your victory? oh grave where is your sting? 

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

the kids start school on tuesday-the younger two this coming tuesday, the oldest the folowing tuesday.  hence the long delays between posts! thank you for grace.

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