A Different Season

(written early August 2013)

It's not yet August and, we're entering into a different season in our lives. 

School is starting earlier this fall for our school corporation. Summer is too short. Why can't they get out right before Memorial Day and go back right after Labor Day? In my mind's eye, that's how it should be! It was that way when I was little. And, I turned out just fine!

Miss Frizzle (that'd be me) isn't returning this fall to drive her "magic school bus." Her break was to be for the summer. But, the big changes in our home seem impossible to manage with a 2:00-6:15pm weekday gig. 

The end of August will bring another school year for our son. Hard to believe our younger child will be a junior in college. There will be less music in the house when he leaves... and a lot more food. 

The end of August will bring more school hours for our daughter - chipping away at her last 17-18 hours while working about 25 hours a week, tending to her child & (in our view) walking on egg shells in a relationship which she continues to grasp to tightly despite the heartbreaks. This will be a different season for her - one where she comes home to a relatively clean house with a peaceful, loving atmosphere. 

We have two new family members here -- our daughter & her baby. The LOML & I aren't "empty-nesters" this season. We'll be figuring out a new rhythm to our lives this fall. We don't know how long this season will last. But, we will embrace it with our entire being and strive to be a reflection of God. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says,

For everything there is a season...a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 

A time to search and a time to quit searching.A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear and a time to mend.A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 

A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war and a time for peace.

And, in follow-up to the above thoughts, I love how verse 11 begins...

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart..." 

God is making this new season beautiful for us even if the condition of our home is total chaos  & not what most would consider beautiful. My heart affirms that this season is part of God's big plan!

For years now, I've been in the habit of changing my home decor to reflect the seasons. I love doing it. The LOML could take it or leave it. I have boxes & boxes of "seasonal" decorations which he joyfully pulls out & puts away for me throughout the year. This season his "work load" is a bit different. Yes... here's a picture of how my home is decorated for this season!

What are you doing to reflect the season you're experiencing now?

Linking 9-17-13 with the #1000Gifts Community of Ann Voskamp... 

Nature vs. Nurture

I recently concluded a phone conversation with my mom. Her final remark to me was, "Well, you have not done a very good job with your children. They don't even know how to say, thank you." My thought...WOW... it all boils down to that!?! 

My "children" are 17 and 19 as I write this post. From what I remember of them as young children, they were very thoughtful with their words.  But now, they don't say thanks enough -- for her. They don't say thanks as much as I would - that's for sure. However, their dad doesn't verbally say thanks all that much either - come to think of it :)

So, how much of what we are is nature versus nurture? And, how much of NATURE is made new when we become a new creation in Christ. And, how much of the change is a process and not instantaneous?  In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes parenting (in the way you feel you should as a Christian parent) can be a huge pain -- with no reward in sight :) You can only do SO much. You can only show your values to your children through your consistent actions for SO long. AND, you can only hope they are watching, seeing the value of & adopting some of those values. Definitely at some point, they are going to do whatever they want to do. It might be a hard job to be a good, Godly parent. But, in my opinion, it's worth the work -- if for no other reason than to know that you did your best. 

As encouragement to all those parents out there who seem to be hitting their head against the wall with their children, here's some encouragement:

"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10 NLT

My comments: Be faithful & do the work. Let God be responsible for the results. Give HIM the glory for those results.

Oh and... THANK YOU for reading this - ha ha!