We started school this week, but it was not an easy transition as I am still recuperating from the most crazy, full, over-the-top summer I think we have ever had. It was all good stuff – just absolutely non-stop. Our last big event was our annual trip to Ogunquit, Maine where we stay for free in a cabin owned by a wonderful couple who sees it as their ministry to provide this place to pastors and missionaries. It is located in the most amazing location – overlooking a cove and out into the Atlantic – and just a short walk to the very quaint and lively town.
We spent our days on the beach, and evenings walking in town, shopping and eating ice cream.
And we usually make a yearly trek to the Nubble Lighthouse located in York, Maine. There are huge rocks here jutting out in to the ocean, which we love to climb all over!
The trip to Texas was great and overflowing with back-to-back activity. This is my dad with his three girls. There’s a boy/brother, too, but he couldn’t get off from work to make the journey from California, and he was missed. We enjoyed great tex-mex this evening!
Melinda (youngest sister) and I enjoyed meeting in New York City (only a 3 hour drive for me) for a couple of days and shopping at only the best places, of course! 😉 ) I’ve already told you that Mary Poppins was the highlight of this trip – just wonderful!
A birthday for Miss Kayla – #8! And the requested Red River Mud Cake.
Raising chickens – and spending a lot of time chasing them out of my neighbor’s yard and flower gardens! Guess one acre isn’t quite enough for their rebellious teenage ways. (We should finally have eggs next month!)
Trip of a lifetime to Switzerland…..9 days…..no children…….chocolate……..espresso……..trains across the country……..and the wonderfully beautiful wedding of sweet friends! Wow!
Oldest child becomes a teenager – complete with a rock climbing party.
And baseball season is what kicked it all off!(Cooper even got some time on the pitching mound!)
Whew – and then there were two baby showers hosted, a few rounds of house guests, Vacation Bible School, one other wedding, taming the garden, Lego sorting/room cleaning, a week of youth camp, and then a complete crash last week that wasn’t too pretty , and once again I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to not get to the “crash” part.
Does anybody have the Sabbath thing down? We’ve been reading Farmer Boy again, and I find myself longing to live in that time of simplicity. (Little House on the Prairie has always been my ideal for family and home life 🙂 !) Almonzo and even the Wilder girls did not look forward to Sundays, because they had to sit still and not play or work. But I want to go there, and sit in the quiet, and rock, and knit by the fire. I know it requires trust and obedience, and I think I’m failing at both. A lot of the time, I don’t even feel the choice to NOT do. Many times this summer I thought, “I don’t even have time to think, I can only act and do the next thing, I will think at a later date” – there wasn’t a spare moment for reflection or even planning – just doing. So pray for us to make the changes required, and also for peace and rest.
I would say that I have the Sabbath thing “down,” because it works great for me and my family. But it is very different from the “can’t play” ideal.
Taking a Sabbath, from a Biblical view–near as I can tell–is to take a day off of work: anything done to improve your situation (i.e. make money, do homework). Playing? Totally legit. Doing things for fun? Perfectly acceptable.
The point of a Sabbath is to take time to rest physically, mentally and in God’s provision. We can take a day off because God provides for that day. And so the Sabbath is a day for joy. Everyone should find joy in that, not dread it.
Okay, this is getting long. I guess I’ll need to write an article or post about this sometime [smile].
My two cents.
~Luke
Hello. My name is Edgar and I’m an editor at OpposingViews.com, the debate website. Since we both cover homeschooling and education issues, I thought I’d drop you a note. I would’ve e-mailed you but I couldn’t find an address.
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Thanks!
Wow! Sounds like it was definitely a full summer. It’s funny that you wrote about the Sabbath because that has been on my mind a lot lately. Did you see my post about it?? It was just last week, I think. Our pastor did a message on it, and it’s been on my mind ever since. Now, once again, your blog brought it up AGAIN. I think God is trying to tell me that I truly, truly HAVE to rest in order to survive. I forgot two important things in the last 2 days…to take a meal to a family who had just had a baby and to reward my 60 or so kids with a prize who had successly sang a memory verse song. I think I just GO GO GO and truly don’t rest in Him enough! I was in a bible study last year and the lady who taught it said that her family did their day of rest from 6pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday…I thought that was a great!!
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