Ready for it to be done

Well, I don't know about you, but SweetPea and I are ready to get back to a schedule.  We decided this morning that neither of us does very well with too much free time and no limitations on things like eating, computer, etc.  (I can't believe I'm saying this.)  Seems like we default to the laziest and easiest thing--which is really wonderful, don't get me wrong.  We needed it after such a busy semester.  But now we're both, shall I say eager ?, for school to begin again.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our snowy-mountain getaway with family.  Got to get my fill of the darling baby, enjoy our traditional Scandinavian food, and drink in the incredible scenes everywhere.  I'm sorry my whole family couldn't be there, but as we usually have no one with us for Christmas, this was very special.

If I were an unschooler, I would say that SweetPea did school nearly our whole Christmas break.  She's been on a photography frenzy...setting up a new photography blog, learning the ins and outs of Adobe PhotoShop and doing a beautifully creative job, poring over her new digital photography books, reading and absorbing everything she can get on others' blogs, online tutorials, etc.  She's researched cameras both online and in the stores to see what she needs to be saving her money for, read reviews, and committed to a savings plan to get it soon.  And yes, I'm going to actually use this toward an elective credit.  It seems to be the quintessential homeschool mom's dream-come-true:  student teaching herself because of her own passion for the subject.  How do we make that happen with math???

So a couple more days of hang-loose, then 2011--here we come.

Lessons from 2010

Maybe it's a week early, but this morning I thought over the lessons God has been teaching me this year.  They've come through illness, parenting, homeschool challenges, family issues, decision-making and more.  But it was a good exercise to see the strong threads of training the Lord has been at with me.

• First and foremost would certainly be the utter Truth of God's Word.   He said it...it cannot fail...I can have complete confidence in it as I take it as mine, mix it with my faith, and wait in certainty and patience that He is bringing it to fulfillment in His time.


• I cannot and should not live one day without having spent time with Him and in His Word.  It is my very life, health, counsel, wisdom, peace, and blessing.  Daily, early, I need to be praying in the Spirit, fellowshiping with Him, inviting His Lordship into everything, waiting on Him.


• His Word on my lips, declaring His will over every situation, is the Sword of the Spirit.  It will accomplish what He sent it out to do.


• His kingdom is to be my first priority--not school or cooking or blogging or friends or errands or housework or fun stuff.


• I need to cast ALL of my cares on the Lord, "get out of the way," as my beloved husband admonishes me, and so enter into REST.  It is finished.  It is not up to me to bring about the fulfillment of God's promises.  My part is to believe, His part is to do.  (Incredible thought.)


• I need to operate in all things from the position of being "in Christ"--seated and ruling with Him.  All that He did for me, all that He is and has is mine because I am "in Him," and as I appropriate it by faith, led of the Spirit, I will see His LIFE on every level.


• I need to be filled with praise and thanksgiving all day, every day.  It enthrones God then in every situation of my life, activates my faith, and causes me to see things from His point of view--VICTORY.


• I can't, He can.

'Twas the week before Christmas...

...And I'm ending the day with a scattered brain...still lots to do for Christmas but I'm not sure what...too many things going on...the to-do list too-long...yawn.

BUT!  God is so good and that's what I want to have as my final thoughts of the day--His never-ending goodness and blessings.

Thank You, Father...

• for bringing my brother-in-law home safe today from several months in Afghanistan!  What a wonderful Christmas gift to the family.


• for keeping us in good health.


• for giving SweetPea a fun Christmas party today with support group friends.


• for helping me get my packages shipped on time!

Tomorrow is a baking day--lefse, a Norwegian soft bread like a tortilla only made with potatoes, cinnamon rolls, and some more cookies.  Our family is Scandinavian so we have all sorts of fun food at Christmas, the only time I can be persuaded to make such labor-intensive goodies.  How did those ladies of long ago have time to do this daily??

Working at rest

I've been doing pretty well in my goal to be cool and relaxed this Christmas--no stress (right), enjoying all the sweet and special things of the season.  But I can feel "acks" creeping in around the edges...Ack!  We don't have our family photo taken yet.  Ack!  I haven't even begun our letter or Christmas cards.  Ack!  I've done no baking and have nothing ready in the freezer for those quick gifts.  Ack!  It's only two weeks until Christmas and I haven't wrapped our shipped my out-of-state gifts.  Or finished my shopping.

But one of my Big Lessons for 2010 has been to learn to be at Rest and let the Lord manage all the 'stuff.'  Hard to do, but so rewarding when I'm doing it right.  I determined in November that I was going to have a simpler Christmas this year, so I'm bravely facing all the "I haven'ts" with "He will--I just don't know how!"  In keeping with this lesson of Rest, my philosophy is, if it doesn't get done, it must not have been that important.  Very Type B, I know.  Another one of my goals.

So I'll keep you posted on how the Lord handles all this for me.  "His yoke is easy and His burden is light"!