A wonderful week

Wow, VBS week was great!  God blessed us with a good turnout of kids, good weather, a terrific team of volunteers, and the very evident work of the Holy Spirit bringing peace and ordering all the details of a packed schedule. 

I had a wonderful group of 6 & 7-year-olds, fifteen or so absolutely precious little lives.  As a homeschooler, I get so surprised when I'm leading a group like this--most of whom are public-schooled--at how quickly and obediently they line up for any and every reason.  ha!  Great crowd control technique and a blessed surprise when we had to move from station to station quickly and efficiently.  I've heard someone say that organizing a group of homeschoolers at an activity is like herding cats.  I agree.



My class

A large percentage of my class had already asked Jesus into their hearts before this VBS, but on the last day when I put the flannelgraph piece on the board of Jesus being crucified, a gasp went up.  It wasn't a particularly graphic picture but it did show the stripes and nails.  One little boy blurted out, "What did they DO to Him?"  Wow, talk about a teachable moment!  The SAW what it cost Jesus to pay for our sins and, as a group, were very moved.  Then we saw Jesus coming out of the tomb, resurrected and showing us His new and perfect body, what theirs would be like one day if they belonged to Him.  Finally, we saw Jesus on His heavenly throne and talked about the glories of our life to come (a wonderful reminder to me!).  I could sense the Spirit really connecting with their hearts and felt that He had sealed the week with His witness to them.  What a privilege to be part of a life-changing moment in these young lives.

Volleyball!

"He's got the whole world in His hands..."

More fun this week...we're off to our state homeschool conference tomorrow.  Yay!  Fresh inspiration, seeing old friends, fresh fuel for the year to come--I need it all.  SweetPea will be with me this time, a first for her.

Then I think I can safely say that my summer really begins next Monday!!  :-)

Catching up



Summer, yay!  Feels like summer, looks like summer, calendar says it should be summer...I think it is, finally.



A peek into my garden...the "before" picture
(hopefully I'll share a great "after" one in August!)

I'm enjoying the privilege of some time at home after our marathon spring and getting caught up on all sorts of things.   My dearly beloved helped me get my late garden in on Monday--a huge relief that I was able to still squeek in under the proverbial wire.   Lots of home projects to tend to now that the weather is warm and our schedule has relaxed (oh, I love that word!).   Can't wait to set up my sewing machine again, teach SweetPea how to can, work on some landscaping ideas, and read some non-homeschooling novels over iced tea in the shade of the maple tree.  :-)

Most importantly, I'm enjoying the space for reflection and sorting out the cacophony of thoughts whirling in my mind over the past couple of months.  I've been needing quality time with the Lord to gain His perspective on my friend's death and how it has impacted her family, our little church, and myself; analyzing how this first high school year went in our homeschooling and getting God's wisdom on the areas we need to modify or improve; praying over our short and long-term goals for the last three years of SweetPea's home education; revisiting my own personal goals for the summer--in short, I need my cup refilled.  He is so faithful, He will do it.


Sorting flannel graph pieces


Monday starts VBS wherein I get to test-drive my writing efforts with a live class of wiggly 1st and 2nd graders!  SweetPea will be my flannel graph assistant and I have a lovely lady helping me with crowd control.  The sanctuary and main classrooms have been decorated with black plastic "space" with planets hung and the sun, moon, and stars providing the background for "The Power and Majesty of God."  It's going to be a lot of fun--and hopefully, the kids will go home with a new sense of awe and wonder at this mighty God who has called us to be His own.

Thanking God for the meaning and beauty He's brought to my life!