It's One Year Later....

Wow!  We have officially been back in Canada for one whole year.  Shut the front door!  I'd like to take the time to update you all and let you know how we are doing.  I've had a few of you request me to write more frequently.  I'll do my best.

One Year.  A lot can happen in a year.  Think about it!  Today is a defining day for me.  Today allows me to know that I'm a survivor.  I'm brave.  I'm courageous.  I'm a strong woman.

I've been reflecting on how life was for us this time last year.  It was NOT pleasant.  Life as we knew it changed for EVER!  Victoria and I drove in my car, while Martin and David drove the U-Haul truck with his car towed behind it.  Everything we owned was on that truck.  We were moving our whole life.  I still can't comprehend that to this day.  Victoria and I were talking the other day at how what a surreal day that was.  It was happening, but it didn't feel real.  Victoria and I were listening to some music that a friend had prepared for me.  A song came on and was talking about how our life is like a book with many chapters.  Victoria said that sometimes the next chapter can be exciting.  Gulp. My 14 year old daughter who was hurting deeply from saying Goodbye to the life she had known since she was born was doing her best to make the best of this day and time of her life.  She ministered to me in the car.  That is something I will never forget.  I love you Sis!

Fast forward to a month later... we settled in our home.  Martin was working and the children were in school.  Life was getting settled for them all.  I was left feeling empty and alone.  I spent a lot of time unpacking and crying.  I didn't want to unpack much.  I just wanted to unpack the necessities, because this was NOT my home.

Fast forward to 3 months later... I was still struggling.  My kids were doing amazing.  It's amazing how resilient kids are!  They were becoming more involved with the youth group at church.  I struggled.  This wasn't MY church.  I wanted MY church.  (Gosh!  I sounded like a child wanting their toy!)

Fast forward to 6 months later... we've been here 6 months.  The kids are still doing amazing.  Martin is really enjoying his job.  I'm starting to notice that I don't cry so much.

Fast forward to 9 months later...  I decided that it was time to start moving out of my comfort zone.  YIKES!  I began to get involved a little more at church and get to know people in the community.  Hmmm.  Maybe this place isn't so bad after all?  Although... it's NOT my home.

Fast forward to 12 months later... I'm feeling so much more settled.  I'm not experiencing extreme anxiety every day.  I've been blessed with a job where I can work from home and set my own hours.  I can still attend all my kids sporting events and be there for them!  Martin's job is going great.  David loves Canada.  Victoria has grown so much as a person and spiritually.

The heart is an amazing thing.  It grows!  My heart misses and loves the people from my Michigan life, yet at the same time, my heart has grown to love others that I've met here.  I never expected to actually begin to care for people and my life here.  I'm so happy I was wrong.  The very best scenario for me would be to have everyone I love in one place!

This may not be the best post I've ever written, but I'm lacking the ability to express myself as efficiently as I want to.

And... how I said above that I found out many things about myself... strong, courageous, brave... that didn't come from me.  That came from HIM!  I could not have walked this path without Jesus.  The most amazing thing... HIS love is bigger than mine!  HE LOVES YOU!  HE CARES FOR YOU!

Moving Again!

Now that Martin was working, we had to figure out where to live and get our children enrolled in school.  He works in Toronto.  Nothing around there felt right.  We prayed for direction.  Martin had always wanted to live in Barrie, Ontario.  He suggested Barrie and I said "I'm NOT living in Barrie!"  He asked if I would at least drive to Barrie with him.  Victoria (who was NOT happy about this move, but was so mature about it) and I went with Martin to visit Barrie.  We drove around and it might sound weird, but it felt right!

We decided to come back the following week to see how the commute would be for Martin.  It was definitely do-able.  We ended up living in a hotel for almost 2 weeks, while we found a place to live and got the kids enrolled in school.

In one month's time, Martin had found a job, the kids started school, we found a church and we moved into our house.  One Month!?!  Someone up there sure does love us!

As I sat in church last week singing the words to "I'm Not Alone" I began to cry.  Yet, this time it was for another reason.  I  really wasn't alone during any of the events of this year!  He carried me and sent people to help and care for me when I couldn't do it myself.

I am now on the other side (quite literally!! LOL!) and things are going well.  Life isn't perfect, but we are blessed.  Martin is enjoying his job, my kids are adjusting so well and I even started a job yesterday.  I really am NOT alone.

And by the way, those 3 pounds I lost, I found them again.

Moving Day!

February 28th, 2015 arrived.  The date that I was dreading began to excite me.  I had so many different emotions on this day!

We were moving back to Canada without jobs or a house of our own.

Starting at 8:30, people started to arrive to help us move.  We could not believe how many people came to help.  A special hockey friend took off work!  More people stopped by for one more hug.  It was the most amazing moving experience we have ever had.

One of the last memories I have of being in our house was standing in my son's room looking into our backyard and sobbing.  My kids had done so much growing up in that house.  It had been filled with love, laughter and wonderful memories.  My beautiful friend, Amy Isaacson found me in there and just hugged me and cried with me.  I will never forget those precious moments.

Thank you our precious friends for being there for us in one of our hardest times of our life.  We love you!

I am always nervous crossing the border.  I'm weird like that.  The custom officers were so amazing and kind.  There was a LOT of paperwork to complete, but they made it fun!  Who knew!?!

We arrived at Martin's mom's late that night.  His mother and step dad had opened their home to us for as long as we needed.  You hear many things about mother-in-laws.... I have the very best one.  She loved me through those first few weeks.  I cried a lot.  We changed her routine.  We had kids.  It was crazy in there.  Not once did she make us feel unwelcome.  She loved us through the changes.

Thank you to all those that helped us on the north side of the border with unpacking the truck and loading up those storage units!

We moved on a Saturday and Martin received a job offer on the Friday!  He started the following Tuesday!  We couldn't believe it!  We have been told by so many that you don't just get a job that quickly here.  God was taking care of us.

Learning To Be Canadian Again Part #2

It was decided.  We would be moving back to Canada on the last day of February.  There was so much to do and I wasn't one bit happy about doing any of it.  God sent some very special people to help carry me through this time.  I hesitate to start mentioning names, lest I forget anyone.  One name that has to be said is Heather Saroli.  If it wasn't for her, I would probably still be sitting in my house wondering where to start.  Heather was not happy about the move, but she put that aside and took care of so many things for me.  I was numb.  I was angry.  I was sad.  I had anxiety that was debilitating.  She carried me through.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

We were so overwhelmed with all the love and support we received.  So many friends came by to help pack, took us to dinner, talked with us, cried with us, one special friend of ours made sure we had every box we needed AND took Martin's car home with him the night before we moved to make a repair on it.  We were stunned.  There were so many of you that dropped by with hugs, gifts, Tim Horton's Gift Cards (best place ever!).  We did not expect any of this.  Martin and I would sit at night and talk about the love shown to us and just cry together.  If you must know, I"m crying now as I type this.

Some of our very best friends who we consider family were so upset that they were going to be out of town when we moved.  They came by the night before their much needed vacation to bring us dinner! The list goes on and on.  Friends threw us Goodbye Parties.  Another friend let me host a surprise birthday party for Victoria at her house with over 20 teenagers!  That is a good friend!

From the bottom of our hearts... THANK YOU.  Thank You seems so little compared to what you all did for us.  I'm humbled.  We LOVE YOU!

The last week of our life in MI was happening.  I was sitting in the very last church service as a member of Woodlawn Church.  I LOVED my church.  Why was God making me leave!?  As we worshipped, God impressed on my heart that everything was going to be ok.  It was time to not just get through this move, but to EMBRACE it.  I had a spiritual heart operation happen right then and there.  My spirit changed, my outlook changed.  All of a sudden, I actually felt excited about the move.  What a difference!

Learning To Be Canadian Again Part #1

Yes, it's been quite a while since I have blogged.  I have had so many thoughts running through my head, but I've struggled with getting to the place where I was ready to start typing.  We recently sang "I'm Not Alone" by Kari Jobe at church.  This song brought me back to earlier this year and I knew it was time to start typing and to share our experience.

I'm now ready!

It all started on December 31st, 2014.  I began to feel an unrest in my spirit.  It continued on through the celebrations of New Year's Day.  I tried my very best to ignore this feeling.  You see, I've had this feeling before.  This feeling always meant that big changes were on the way.  I don't know about you, but I hate change.  The older I get, the more I hate change.  Yet, it seems that the older I get, there is a lot more changes (and I'm NOT talking about the change of life!!!)

I felt like it had something to do with our living situation.  As most of you know, we were living in Michigan and were in the green card process for permanent status.  This feeling of unrest would not go away.  I finally told Martin that I had this feeling and felt like we would know in 2015 whether we would be staying in the U.S. or not.  Of course we would be staying in the U.S.  That's where we had built a life and we wouldn't be moving back to Canada.  WRONG!

Martin was in a job where he had the worst boss ever and was treated terrible.  Things turned from bad to worse.  This boss made a big mistake in his calculations.  He was pressuring everyone hugely to "find" more money and made the comment that they could "lose" some bills stating expenses.  His job was on the line.  Martin took a lot of verbal abuse from this man.  He wanted Martin to "fudge" the numbers.  Martin refused to do so.  L-O-N-G story short, Martin resigned the day after my birthday.  

Honestly, I was devastated.  I knew what this meant.  We would not be staying in Michigan.  Don't get me wrong, I was SO proud of my husband that he was such a man of integrity that he would resign from a very nice-paying job to do what was right.  However, I'm human!  I was stunned.  Life suddenly became very scary.  This should NOT be happening!  We followed your leading our whole lives Lord and this is what we get!?!  Yep, I had those thoughts.  Remember... I'm human.  

Some of those days seem like a blur.  My anxiety was over the top.  I couldn't eat or drink.  I sat on the couch and stared out the window and cried and then I cried some more.  I lost 5 pounds in 3 days.  I was in the "pit of despair" as Anne of Green Gables would say.  Martin shared Kari Jobe's song with me "I'm Not Alone".  I would sit and listen to it and sob.  I felt alone.  My whole life was changing and there wasn't one thing I could do about it.  I was scared.  I was angry.  Anxiety was consuming me.  On the flip side, Martin was so happy.  He had such a joy that I hadn't seen in quite a while.  He couldn't stop smiling.  I looked over at him one night and said "I've never seen you so happy to be without a job."  A huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.  He had chosen morals over money and that alone brings one joy.  

Mine!

As I was sitting in church yesterday, the words "He's my King" stuck out to me. I've heard this phrase many times, however, yesterday, it really made me think. The word "my" really began to excite me. The word "my" is a simple two letter word. It shows possession. When my children were younger and their vocabulary was yet to be developed, the word "Mine" was used quite often. As their mother when they would exclaim (and sometimes quite loudly) "Mine!" It was my job to teach them to share. I would confirm that yes they did indeed own the desired toy, however, sharing was appropriate and actually would make not only others happy, but in return, they would have be happy because they shared. (For the record, my kids still look at me like I'm senseless when I repeat that to them!) Jesus is MY King. However, when I share Him with others and I don't keep Him to myself, I will have renewed joy also. I was excited to think that I am able to proclaim that Christ is MY King. He died on the cross for MY sins and He rose again so that I might have life. That's some pretty exciting stuff! There's good news! Even though He is MY King. He can be your King also. The love Jesus has for us is even greater than that of a parent for their child. I can't even comprehend the magnitude of that type of love. It's free for the asking. The childhood song remains true "The More We Get Together The Happier We'll Be". Jesus died on the cross for MY sins, but He also died on the cross for your sins. There is great rest and safety in His love. I pray that you too will call Him "Mine!"

I'm God's Favorite!

Last night, I did a little experiment. It's quite funny how it played out.

David and I were in the basement and I said "Hey Buddy, I have a secret to tell you, but you have to promise me to not tell anyone, especially Victoria." His eyes brightened and he looked at me and said "Ok!" I told him "Remember, you can't tell ANYONE this, but you are my favorite child." He started to laugh and replied "No, I'm not!" I asked him why and he just kept saying "Victoria is!" We both headed upstairs.

No sooner did we get upstairs and David yells out "Victoria! Guess what!?! I'm Mom's favorite child!" I hid behind the wall and shook my head no and pointed to Victoria and mouthed the words "You are." I knew all along that David wouldn't keep a secret. My little boy would be unable to keep a secret if his life depended on it. My plan was playing out.

I put David into bed and went in to talk with Victoria. I sat on her bed and I said, "Honey, you know you are really my favorite child, right?" She responded "No, I'm not. I know it's David." I asked her why and she said "Because he doesn't get in trouble." This made me laugh outright because anyone who knows my energetic darling boy knows this to not be the case. Even though that was her response, I saw the twinkle in her eye from our conversation.

I head to the kitchen and there appears my son with his cup to get the infamous second cup of water at bedtime. He heads to the fridge and begins to fill his cup with water from the water dispenser. He looks at me with wonder in his eyes and asks in all seriousness, "Mom, am I REALLY your favorite child." I assured him that this was true. His eyes took on a glow and amazement radiated from him. He was in such awe that he forgot he was filling his cup and majorly over-filled it until it spilled all over the floor and on the fridge. He looked up and said "Am I still your favorite child?"

As the minutes passed, I found out that trying this experiment at bedtime may not have been the very best idea. You see, David thought that since he was the favorite child that he could keep getting out of bed. When I put him in one last time, He said "Mom, how is it the child that gives you the most trouble is your favorite?" Any mother knows that no matter what, you love your child. His question pricked my heart and made me think.

This morning as I was getting ready for the day, I was reflecting over last night's events. I began to think of how it is with myself as God's child. If God told me "You are my favorite child." I would respond the same as my children "No, I'm not." The thought of God loving me that much is incomprehensible to me. Just as I do not love one of my children more than the other, my eyes have been opened through this experiment that Christ loves us all equally. He didn't die on the cross for someone else's sins more than mine. His blood was shed for all of man-kind. I really am God's favorite!

A New Year!

It's a New Year. It seems that the entry of each New Year brings a promise of new beginnings. So many people make resolutions that they promise themselves that this is the year that they will actually stick to it.

Attendance at the gym seems to more than double for the first few weeks of January. By February, it's back to normal again. While having a resolution isn't necessarily a bad thing, it occurs to me that a resolution can seem like an unreachable option.

This year I have been thinking more about setting goals for myself rather than making an absolute resolution. Recently, a friend told me that they were working on their 3 year and 5 year plan. They are setting goals to reach where they resolve to be. I attended a private Christian school for a good part of my school years. Each day, we were required to set our goals for which we wished to accomplish in each subject. If we didn't reach that daily goal, we knew what our homework was.

As I'm typing this, my mind pondering the word "goal". I began to think about a goal in hockey. In a hockey game, the player's resolution is to win the game. It takes getting goals to get them there. If they just went on the ice and did nothing but stand there, they would not obtain any goals. It takes hard work and peseverance for them to accomplish getting these goals. Think of the cheering when your team gets a goal!

I'm looking at this year much the same way. I have things that I need to accomplish in my natural and spiritual life this year. I haven't set an absolute resolution this year, but I've set some personal goals to work towards and by the grace of God, I will be successful!

Things Change

It has been a very exhausting week in our home. It was quite hectic with Martin having his audit this week at work and the children's activities and school. What made it all the more hard was that David wasn't sleeping very well at night. We made a change in his medicine and we sprung forward! That is NOT a good mix! If David isn't sleeping, Mama isn't sleeping. By the third night, I was feeling desparate for him to just fall asleep early so that I could relax and get some rest too. Irrational thoughts began to go through my mind, "what if he never sleeps again? What if I never have a quiet evening again? He won't be able to function at school, which means he won't do as well, etc...." I'm sure any Mother knows what I mean. Thankfully, on the third night, he fell asleep easier. Things Changed.

"Things change. Nothing lasts forever" were very wise words spoken to me many years ago while experiencing a challenging time. I have clung to those words so many times in my life, especially when everything seems overwhelming.

As I was packing to go on a Girl Scout Camping Trip with my daughter this weekend, I began to ponder on the other side of change. My children are changing each and every day. They are growing more and more independant. I began to think that I want to take advantage of every second. Before I know it, they are going to be grown up and have their own lives. Camping is not my favorite thing to do, but I wouldn't trade this weekend of camping that we do every year for anything! I am able to relax and enjoy my daughter in a special way. (The guys love having the weekend to goof off too!).

So if you are in a spot in your life where it seems that things are unbearable, just remember.... THINGS CHANGE! It won't always be like this. Tie a knot in your rope and hang on and enjoy the ride!

God Gave Us So Much - BOOK REVIEW

I highly recommend the Limited-Edition Three-Book Treasury God Gave Us So Much. Lisa Tawn Bergren does a fantastic job of writing about topics that young ones ask and wonder about in a sweet way. I find that this book brings such a peaceful feeling upon reading it. This would have been at the top of my bed-time reading list if I owned this when my children were younger. Laura J. Bryant captures the peacefulness in the art she presents in the book. The pictures are so interesting and captivating. I think a small child of one would benefit from this book. The bears are doing so many different activities in this book that it can also be used as a learning tool with young ones. This book is going to be at the very top of my gift giving list for parents with young children. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

BOOK REVIEW: God Gave Us The World

This is such a sweet children's book. It has such a peaceful tone to it. If I had this book when my children were a little younger, it would have been one of our top bedtime stories. I love the message it gives that being different is how God made us all. The suggested Reading Level is 4-8. I tend to think that it would be good for ages 2-6. The illustrations in the book are absolutely beautiful. They lend themselves to exploring with a younger child in helping them with their vocabulary. I highly recommend this book!

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

BOOK REVIEW: Tithing test me in this

I was looking forward to reading a book about tithing. I was excited to read a book that I believed would back up my belief about tithing. I was disappointed with this book. I was hoping and looking for more Scriptural input and a case to be built about the importance of tithing. This book was comprised of several personal testimonies of people faithful in tithing. I cannot deny that these people have been used by God and blessed by Him. I appreciate their giving to the Lord and His work. I am slightly uncomfortable about people speaking publicly in detail about their tithing habits. I believe that it is a very personal thing that should be done in private.

All in all, I would not recommend this book. I was not impressed by the content. I found the author to give too many intricate details that, to me, didn't need to be included.

I received the book Tithing test me in this by Douglas Leblanc complimentary from BookSneeze and have in no way been paid for my review of it.

Almost Heaven

I varied from enjoying this book to wishing I wasn't reading it. Parts of this book are very sad and almost depressing. It was so hard to read about a man who had a very difficult life. I have been blessed in my life and could not relate to many parts of the book. However, I could see this book being very helpful for those who have experienced extreme life-altering experiences.

The author lets us into the main characters life and thoughts, as well as, into the thoughts of the angel sent to watch over Billy (the main character). I found myself wanting to skip over the chapters where the angel's ideas and thoughts were discussed.

Having said the above, I thoroughly enjoyed the last section of the book. I loved how the author created such a character that lived his love for God t the fullest. He leaned on the Lord throughout his life. It reminded me of the importance of SHOWING God's love to others.

I received this book complimentary from Tyndale Media Center. I received nor will I receive any compensation for the review of this book.

Dirt

We had a young man come by yesterday and present his vacuum and air purification product for our company. He was demonstrating to us what our vacuum and other cleaning tools miss in my weekly cleaning routines. It was quite impressive. I thought my home looked clean and I believe it would to anyone's naked eye. However, we were shown proof that there was underlying dirt that had not been picked up.

This morning while I was washing my floor, I began to think of that more and wonder how much "dirt" I am missing each day in my own life. Again, to the naked eye, I appear to be a good Christian woman who loves the Lord. I attend church regularly, I talk to the Lord, I teach my children about Him, I lead music at church, I work with the Sunday School children, etc.... This all is true. However, all of that will not make my heart clean before the Lord. I don't believe I would be able to handle the evidence of the dirt within me, if He were to come in and demonstrate His air purification and vacuum system to me.

As amazing as it was, we chose to not purchase the product we were shown yesterday. Currently, the cost was more than we would currently be comfortable with paying. The amazing thing is that Jesus has given me His purification system FREE OF CHARGE! He not only gave it to me, but He bought it for me!!! Another bonus is that I am able to accept this gift each day. I am able to use it to rid my heart of the dirt within daily. If I had to see the evidence all at once, I do believe I would fail before I even began.

How many people have every said, "This house is a mess!" That's how I feel about my heart somedays. It is just a mess and needs a good cleaning! I'm so appreciative that I have been given the most efficient cleaning tools.

By the way, it did give me great joy that the young man said our house was actually very clean. =)

Year-End!

When I hear those two years, I automatically think of a lot of effort and work being involved. Year end for my accountant husband, means extra hours and less time at home. He has to balance the accounts and start the year fresh.

It's got me thinking that maybe I should be doing the same in my personal life. I need to run some "financials" on my personal life. Some of my "accounts" have balanced very well. Some need some extra work balancing. I wonder if I were to run some reports titled "Martin", "Victoria" and "David" how they would look. Would they be balanced? Would they alert me to the necessity of making changes in how I operate this upcoming year. Would they show that I have given proper love and attention? My prayer is that my total would not be "in the red", but that there will be a nice healthy and thriving balance.

One of the hugest accounts we will ever manage as humans is our "time". Unlike many other accounts, our time will only ever decrease. We can increase our love account, but that is not possible with our time account. I wonder if I were to look at an actual Journal Entry titled "Time" if I would be ashamed. How many of my days, hours, minutes and seconds have I used in a responsible fashion? Would there be enough lines showing that I put my children as a priority? Did I put my husband as a priority? Did I give a good amount of time to my Lord?

Financial Statements do not lie. They tell you the truth about your operation. My prayer is that my financial statements will be those that reflect a woman living a balanced life.

So... Good-bye 2010. Thank you for what you taught me. 2011? Bring it on!

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

Fearless is a must read for everyone! There is not a specific age group that I would recommend this book to, because it would be beneficial for all. I have never read anything from Max Lucado before, but that will definitely be changing! Mr. Lucado has a way with words that allows the reader to clearly understand what he is saying. He is so down-to-earth and matter of fact. He remains positive throughout the book and each time I would read, I would be left with a happy feeling within. He allows the reader to see how much each of us fears things that more often than not, never come into existence. I am so excited that I can now pass this book on to others to read. Thank you Mr. Lucado for such an inspiring book in such an unsettling world.

I received the book "Fearless" written by Max Lucado from Book Sneeze to read and review. I was not paid by them to do this review.

Do You Like Your Friends?

I have always encouraged my children to be wise in their choice of friends. That being said, I also encouraged them to be friendly to all. Too many times, I have seen people treated different or not as well due to many things beyond their control. Some of these being, but not limited to, the way they look, the type of clothes they wear, where they live, where they work, who their family is, their financial status, etc.... Some may respond, "...but that is high school behavior..." Is it really? I'm sad to report that I have been guilty at times of discriminating behavior. Ouch!

The world we live in is full of anti-discrimination rules and laws. However, it is still a very big discriminatory world. When I discriminate against someone, I have basically taken the place of God and put myself above that person. I have seen too many times where people are treated differently because they may not attend the same type of church we do, or wear the same type and/or brand of clothing, they do not raise their children the same, etc.... I think it's time we band together and say "ENOUGH!" We have all been created in God's image. When I discriminate, I am saying that God's creation is less than perfect. Yes, we are all less than perfect thus the reason Christ's blood was shed, but I have not been given the authority to be the one to judge. My husband often says, "I have had two very big revelations in my life: 1) There is only one God 2) I am not it." That basically sums it up!

This does NOT mean that I cannot encourage my children to make wise choices when it comes to choosing friends. If you ask my children what I say about the way we should relate to other people, they will tell you that Mom says, "You don't have to like them, but you have to love them." I'm SUPER happy about this, because there's some people that no matter how hard I try, I just can't like! However, I can love them. I want my children to make good choices in their friends. I also want them to befriend those who may be different. A little love can go a long way.

I am not a big advocate of having a "best" friend. I like having several close friends. I think friends should help balance you as a person. I don't want a friend who is exactly like me. I want friends who help me to be a better me. I also want to BE a good friend. The Scriptures tell us "...a man that hath friends must first show himself friendly." This will never fail to be true. This is something I have talked about with my daughter often. Girls are emotional and need emotional ties to people. I don't want her to put all of her confidence in one "friend". Guess what? People are human! The only place I want her full confidence is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one that will NEVER let her down in her life. I want to be remembered as one that had many friends and one that showed myself friendly.

I would consider my husband to be my best friend here on earth (yes I know I said I'm not an advocate of best friends, but this is different!). He is the one that I share everything with. Not talking about him, I got thinking today about my friends. I asked myself "do I like the people I choose to spend my time with?" The answer is definitely Yes. I hope that others can say the same about me!

New Life

Wow. There's a lot of meaning in that small word. Our life has totally and completely changed these past few weeks. Although I had a peace about our decision, I was still apprehensive about what the future would hold with enrolling our children in school.

The first day or two was tough for me. It was the first time I let go of totally controlling their education and entrusting them to someone else. It's the first time my babies have been gone from me everyday for ALL day. The Lord really blessed us through a friend to confirm our decision. This friend said one night he felt to pray for our family really hard and to focus especially on our children. Upon praying, he said that he was impressed by the Lord that we made the right decision and that if we would continue to teach our values to our children at home, all would be fine. What a blessing! This touched Martin and I so much and just further confirmed our decision.

Victoria is thriving. She is my social butterfly. She loves to be out and to be busy. She loves her teacher and the business of school. She is part of Service Squad at her school which has enabled her to feel like she belongs and has a place right away.

David is doing amazingly well. I prayed that he would be given the right teacher. Guess what!?! I couldn't have picked a better teacher for him if I had handpicked her myself! She is totally perfect for David. He is doing exceptionally well. The structure of school is proving to be very beneficial for our son. He is excited and is doing great.

I sit back and watch in awe. It's amazing how God can change the course of our path so quickly. What's more amazing is that He knows exactly what we need! This is turning out to be the very best decision for our family. It has helped to teach me another lesson in following the Lord's leading even when I don't understand it. It reminds me of the beginning of a song that I love...

Oh rejoice in the Lord
He makes no mistakes
He knoweth the end
Of the path that I must take...

In closing, I encourage each of you to follow what the Lord is leading you to do. There is no greater path in life that we can trod.

I'm Going To Be A Mom!

Ok, I know I'm already a Mom. No, we are not adding another little Andrews to our family! I am now just going to be Mom and not teacher to my children. It still sounds so strange to me. I'm getting excited about the future.

It's amazing to me how God can change our perspective and hearts. As you know, our son has many challenges that he and our family faces each day. He has ADHD, OCD, and ODD. These three combined together makes for a very eventful home. The Lord has given us the strength to face each day and succeed the very best we can. It has been challenging to say the least. It's so tough as a parent when you do all you know to do and it still seems like it isn't enough. Thankfully, I know the ONE who is enough. He has always held me in the palm of His hand and recharged me. For this, I am so grateful.

As the mother of a son with these challenges, I feel like a huge weight is being lifted off of me. We knew that we had to try the school option. It's a wonderful feeling to know that I'm going to have help! I'm so excited about being able to be just my children's Mom now and not their teacher too. I haven't experienced that in a long time and it's so exciting to me. I don't know how long it will last. We have committed to the full school year and we will reassess after that. I just wanted to express my joy at this new phase in our life.

At first, I felt like a failure when we decided to enroll our children. I had a peace, but I still felt like I had failed. God has helped me to see that I have not failed.

I have been successful and He has changed the course that we are to trod. I am still a very strong advocate of homeschooling. However, that doesn't mean that everyone should homeschool. Every family dynamic is different. I see that as parents we can place guilt on other parents with our opinions. Homeschoolers may make non-homeschoolers feel guilty that they don't homeschool. Also, non-homeschoolers can make homeschoolers feel guilty about homeschooling. It's actually a vicious circle. Let's respect one another's decisions. It's amazing to me how many people will give their unsolicited opinions in life. I know I have been very guilty of this. I am learning to keep my thoughts and opinions to myself unless I'm asked about them. Just because I may not agree with a decision that someone makes, it doesn't mean their decision is wrong. I love the saying... "Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one!"

So, let's band together as parents no matter what your schooling set up is. I need you to survive. Each of us have been enabled with our own experiences and challenges so that we may lend our love and support to others. I know I will be looking for some support from some of you as we take this new journey. The journey of me becoming "just a Mom!" I'm going to be busy making those after school snacks and loving every moment of it!

Big Changes Are Coming!

What a busy summer we have had! It's hard to believe that it is almost coming to a close and another school year is upon us. We are going to be experiencing a huge change in our family this year.

We have always reassessed our children's educational arrangement each summer. We would discuss the pros and cons and pray about whether we were to keep homeschooling or not. Prior to this year, the answer had always been "Yes". This year, it was different. As you know, our son has some challenges that we face as a family. It was a rough summer for us. After much prayer, we decided to enroll our children in school this year. It was a very hard decision for us to make. For the first time in their lives, I am giving up the control of my children's education. I know I can be part of it, but I will not be the one directing it. That's scary to me!

I was very emotional after our decision. I felt peace, but I also felt other emotions. I am so very thankful to say that the Lord has helped me to come to a place of pure peace and excitement! I'm seeing that so many positives may come out of this new journey we are about to take. I am still a huge advocate of homeschooling. However, I was never one that held the belief that homeschooling is the only right option. The education of our children is such a personal decision to be made within each home by the mother and father. No one else knows our children like we do. God has entrusted them to us to raise them to the very best of our ability.

I am asking each one of you that read this if you would take a few moments to pray for our family as we enter this new phase of our life. Our circumstances have changed, but I'm so thankful that my Creator NEVER changes. I have full confidence that He will continue to lead us and direct us as we look to Him.