You Can't Do It, It Won't Work!!!

Has God called you to do something that makes no sense to others? Do they tell you it can't be done? I have felt that way about homeschooling at times. There have been plenty of people over the years who have tried to make me feel crazy for trying to educate my children at home. With God's help I dove in. The comments stopped but then started up again when *they* saw that I was going to try to homeschool a High Schooler. I mean, what was I THINKING? To be honest there have been days when I have wondered if I was crazy too. But I knew that I knew that God had called me to it so quitting was/is just not an option.

Has God called you to do something that looks crazy? Perhaps He is calling you to live debt free? To serve Him in a full time ministry? To go overseas as a missionary? To go to college? To street evangelism? Can it be done?

I believe if God has led you to it, He'll lead you through it! I believe that God equips the called! I believe God's will never lacks His supply!!

Here is my favorite verse concerning following God's will for my life. It comes from Nehemiah. He knew all about naysayers!

"They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'" Neh. 6:9

Here is a poem by Edgar Guest called "It Couldn't be Done"

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.

Thankful Thursday

Our snow banks are shrinking each day!

There is so much to be thankful for this week:

1. I do love my house and I am thankful for this provision. We purchased it as a "fixer upper" so at times I get caught up in what needs to be done. Instead I need to focus on what is done and the fact that the size is just right for us, not too big and not too small.

2. Rachel had her piano recital this week. She played 3 songs. She did SUCH a BEAUTIFUL job! She does not really struggle with nervousness. God has gifted her to be able to perform and be relaxed!

3. I have been able to visit Goodwill and The Salvation Army over the week. We found one pair of pants and one pair of capris (Levi's!) for Rachel, books for Rachel and Christian for fun reading, two shirts for Rachel, a church shirt for Christian (Old Navy!), a soccer shirt for Tyler (Nike!).

4. Today I will hopefully visit a new Goodwill store. I like how Goodwill is organized because they separate the kids clothes by girls/boys and by size. So I can whip through those racks fast! I only buy name brands, those brands you KNOW will last!

5. Christian is on this FABULOUS baseball team. The coaches are godly men, 7 of the kids are from our church! The kids, all 15 of them, have great attitudes and compliment each other for every good play. He is just so happy and I am SO happy for him!

6. The weather has been so beautiful! We have had sun and warm temps for 9 or 10 days straight! Today is another sunny day!

7. We have kept up with our homeschool schedule this year and are right on target. It hasn't been all easy, but WOW! I am happy to be on target!! The books will surely get finished this year!! Hopefully we will be on our summer schedule in 5 weeks! :)

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." 1 Chron. 16:8-11

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." Prov. 15:13

"Don't You Get Bored?"

Spring inspires me! With spring, the sun streams into the house brightening everything. With all that bright light I start to see cobwebs and dirt that I had not noticed for a bit! It brings that feeling that makes you want to see everything look clean and crisp! I am truly thankful for those feelings; they are so motivating. With all that natural light I start cleaning.

Then as I move around to clean things I notice clutter that is in my way. So, of course, I begin to think that I need to declutter and get stuff out of the way. Less is more, right? Really *stuff* annoys me and makes me a bit claustrophobic! I really want to be a minimalist. Of course I can't just get rid of everyone elses *stuff* but I am anxious to make those famous four piles: "Stuff to keep", "Stuff to donate", "Stuff to sell", "Stuff to throw away." Just the thought makes me smile! :)

Oh and as I open my windows, I notice how warm it is out. So I head out to read in a comfy lawn chair. But...hmmmm...the lawn sure needs to be cleaned up...oh and the trim could use some paint...maybe I can start washing the windows. Before I know it, there I am, rake in hand, starting to clean out garden beds which of course leads to more planning on seeds and seedlings to buy...


(Can't resist showing my lilies that are poking out beside the leftover snow!)

Exhausted I come into the house and decide to read some blogs to rest. Well, I see Bren is quilting and Lindy is knitting and Cheryl has painted her pantry. Sylvia will be sewing for reeenacting and she's planning her menus today, Wardeh will be sewing and cooking... I look toward my sewing maching with longing...do I have time to dig out my quiliting? Or maybe I should catch up on my knitting?

Woops, I am suppose to be helping my 4th grader with her Math and I still need to get our Science Lapbook ready...and...and...and...


(Here is that Math student now, with her new glasses on!)

Once in awhile someone will ask me how I keep from getting bored since I don't have a career. They look at me funny when I giggle...

Signs of Spring

I am seeing signs of spring all around me and loving it! The days are warm and sunny, I hear the birds returning, the snow is melting and buds are peeking out from the ground. The bicycles are finding there way up from the basement and outside. Multitudes of dirt is getting tracked in and the vacuum is getting daily use. The house smells like fresh air instead of air fresheners!!

I am thankful for....

Open windows:


Flower buds coming up. They are right beside the snow as though ignoring the remants of winter! Can you see them? These little green spots will be Irises soon!


Outdoor creativity. Rachel's brothers have sports today, but she has the luxury of free time outdoors! She spent a good hour hunting for the perfect branches and arranging them in a teepee shape that wouldn't fall down and then finding the perfect sheet that wouldn't be missed and draping it around.


Taaadaaaa...


More spring fun! Her teepee got taken down by the wind. Ah well...she'll ask her dad for some rope to shore it up when he is home. In the mean time, there's "Old Joe the Climbing Tree."


I can't forget the best part about early spring...NO BUGS! Yes, it's true! The bugs have not yet caught on that spring is here. So, today I was able to enjoy a lawn chair and a good book, basking in 73 degrees F and loads of sun! Ahhhh...this is what I was waiting for!

Keeping Busy

We have been keeping busy here this spring. There is plenty to do each day!
A *good* day starts with a *good* breakfast. This one started with chocolate chip pancakes made on our new griddle:


Once breakfast is done, we get right to work! Even the dog wants to be around the *school* table! He waits patiently for someone to give him some attention...


Next it is time to practice our instruments. This year is a milestone as we reached our goal to give each child their own instrument! I am so thankful that we were able to do this for them. We bought one instrument per year for three years. :)

We have Tyler on electric guitar:


Christian on the drums:


Rachel on the piano:


Once all that is done and we do our chores, then it is time for fun (well if we don't have somewhere we have to go!).

The picture above shows what will happen to your house if you don't have the TV on!! BEWARE!! HAHA!! Just kidding... I do love it when the kids get creative, but some days it is a bit scary! On this day, Christian was holding a "World Cup Soccer Game". Of course he *had to have* a world sized audience. Even Rachel's fairies and Polly Pockets got to see the game. :)

We love to be home. Everyone in the house considers it a treat to *be home for the whole day!* Yes, we love our activities and visiting friends, but there's no place like home!

Around the House

(by, Susan Branch!)

Happy Wednesday! I haven't meant to be MIA, but boy sometimes life takes off and I have all I can do to keep up with it! I am out of batteries for my camera so as soon as I can get to the store I'll have some pictures to share!!

I have been working so hard on homeschooling. I am trying to finish our year well as well as plan for next year. I like to have all my plans done before summer when I can.

To correct our little glitches, I have been correcting every night and then planning appointments for each child in each subject he or she needs help in. This can be tricky because there are lessons I need to teach and so I have to schedule around that time too. But it's working and I am feeling back on track!

Next week I will be spring cleaning with the ladies at the Titus 2 Christian Homekeepers Message Board. I am ready!! For the first time in about 3 years, I am actually ready!! We have been cleaning out closets and organizing in our spare time on the weekends. This way I won't be tidying AND scrubbing, just scrubbing. You can bet I will have 3 helpers and we will make short work of it I hope! It is nice to get the spring cleaning done before the snow melts. Once snow melts it is time to head outside!

I have done NO knitting or sewing for a whole month!! Hopefully that will change soon, but first things first and that isn't first. But I do miss it!! If I can at least print off my Monthly KALS that I missed and get my thread and needles together maybe I can take them with me tomorrow for Rachel's dance classes. It will be nice to have my hands busy while she dances. Lately I have just felt like I am running a sprint every day. It'll change... :)

I hope all who read are well!! Is your snow gone? Mine is still piled high!! What is your spring like?? Spring cleaning? Decluttering? Winding down schooling?