Tension

I am a doer.
I like lists. A lot.
I like checking things off my lists just as much.
I even have been known to write things down on a list that I already accomplished simply for the pleasure of crossing it off my list.

It's a sickness really.

This doing mentality has brought a wee bit of tension into our 'all things Africa' journey. Namely, I'm tense and Brad is awesome.
To be frank, there is no small amount of work that NEEDS TO BE DONE to move- regardless of where you move- moving is work!  The fact that we are planning to move to Africa makes it a bit of extra work.  There are passports and visas, background checks and cultural training, fundraising and... well, fundraising. Do do do!
So a conversation that happened in our family room the other week was something about me "suggesting" (i.e. nagging) about what was on the  (STUPID) list. I could feel my blood pressure rising because Awesome Brad is also Cool as a Cucumber Brad. (Neither of which alliterate much to my disappointment). Anyway, he looks over at me in his Cucumberesque way as says "you need to be trusting more!".

Wind. Sails. Done.

There is this great tension though. What does it look like to be faithful in our doing but full of Faith?How can we be focused in our mission but to not get life out of focus?
A list is EASY.
Faith is tough.
My lists are just that- mine. They are written by me, accomplished by me, and checked off by me so that at the end of the day I can see all that I have done.
This kind of faith is completely empty of me.  I want it to be so.  I desperately want it like that so that at the end of my lifes journey I can look back and see all that HE has done.

Plan well.
Trust more.
May it be so.

IPAD

Some of you have asked about my IPAD that was stolen this fall.
We were notified via our Apple devices connection that someone was attempting to use it in November. (Brad had put a "lock" on it once we realized it was taken) The alert showed us a general area where it might possibly be at but other than going to the neighborhood and knocking on doors (distinct possibility I guess) we had no way of truly narrowing our search.
Soooo...still gone. =( Bummer.  

Measure of success

There are things God allows in our life that is simply for FUN, for pleasure and for our enjoyment. And then there are the things God allows in our life to refine us. 

Kids are both for me.

I might be raising them but we are ALL growing up. 

And homeschooling? Wow. 

Just wow. 

I feel like I have a "I'm new here" sign on my head when I talk with homeschooling moms.  I'm barely scraping by here.  Granted, our decision to homeschool happened 5 weeks before the beginning of the school year. I had other time commitments already in place to happen through-out the year and homeschooling just got added. 

Jaedon, for his part, is rocking it.  He is fairly independent in his studies (frankly when I intervene too much it doesn't go as well as I hoped) and tells others he likes being homeschooled (noted that I am generally within earshot of this conversation so maybe he's just being polite?)

Looking back over the past 6 months we have done some pretty neat stuff... 

we've measured out Noahs ark (almost our entire street's length!),  done biography, plays, field trips, a few crafts (not my strength),  and made national foods.  Sounds pretty good eh?  

But I don't think any of these things mean it's been a success.  

 They all are neat experiences but the times I deem most successful thus far are the ones that come from the non-picture taking moments.   The times it's ugly and tough.  When I'm trying to keep my cool or trying not to be sarcastic (shocking right?)  or when I'm staring in the face of mediocrity and very ok with it thank you very much.  Tough.  Not fun.  But slowly, in my growing up, God is showing me how to instruct this heart.  Our readings may talk about India or Egypt but we are also learning about stewardship and work ethic.  And OH! are we well versed in apologies around here!  My glimpse of success was the other day when I overheard this one apologize to his brother without any promptings from me. The other snapshot I saw was him doing some odd chores just because "it needed to be done".  That may not sound like very much but for him  (and me) it's HUGE.  I am certainly not suggesting that one needs to homeschool in order to teach our children character- but for us it's been a great change agent that is completely timely in this ones life.  We are so thankful.