End of the School Year Festivities

 It's hard to get so behind in my blogging.  These posts are my yearly photo album and with our smart phone cameras, capturing every little thing--I became overwhelmed with the documenting part.  So in a nutshell, these pictures all took place end of May 2017 to first days of summer in June. After a very rocky start for our Nessa Bessa, first grade ended successfully. She loved her teacher and she did well academically. This little girl has  heart for kindness, seeking out the lonely and bringing people together.

 These eighth grade girls are growing up into beautiful young ladies. It's so weird to drop them off and let them test out their independence slowly but surely. Giving them wings to fly but wanting them tethered close at the same time...awe, motherhood. Sweet, sweet motherhood!

 I finally got to go back to the horse races for a date day. What a nostalgic trip. It reminded me so much of the days there with my grandparents! Everything was more expensive, and gone was the day of betting with someone else's money...but for a second, I remembered that childhood joy that the horse races brought me.

 Memorial Day Ernie worked, but his side of the family planned a big barbecue at the beach. It was a lot of fun for the kids.  I loved watching them play catch and build sand castles with their cousins that they do not see nearly enough.

 Field trips were fun this year. I got to be a chaperone at every single one. I will always remember these days. Staying home and having the opportunity to be a part of my kids' lives has been life changing. This is and always would have been enough.

 International Day was an awesome compilation of dances all over the world. Our little hula dancer was my favorite!

 We went with our framily to Universal Studios.  It had been years for me!  This was another fun firsts with the not so little kids. Outings like this are so much easier now that they are grown--more expensive, but easier.

 Anthony was confirmed and made his first communion.  Ernie was his sponsor. So very proud of his commitmment to the Lord and living with integrity.  God has gifted us his presence in this home the last 4 years. Hard to believe college is looming in the near distance. . .

 And our beautiful Lene Bean is off to high school. Middle school was a breeze until a friend hiccup this year, but she handled herself with grace and was kind anyways. I am so proud of her heart and can't wait to see her amazing accomplishments in high school!

 Godly and gifted. That's our girl!

 Proud Parents

Summer months are here. Bring on the fun!

Convictions in a Crazy World

“In the absence of Biblical convictions, people go the way of culture.”--Sally Clarkson

Navigating against the tide of middle school influences is an ebb and flow of conversations, criticisms, and critiques.  I sit here and think there are so many things working against us each day: television, film, technology, books, and even friends and family.  It has often been lonely this year to stand for what we believe is right. If it hadn't been for all of us in this household, standing together, I may have wavered. There have been times we second guessed allowing a tween to do something they have asked because we're not sure the difference between protective and over-protective.  

I have read more tween literature than I probably did when I was this age. . .to check it out, act as a buffer, decide whether it's too much too soon, because didn't you know?  So and so has already read that!  And it IS in the school library, so it must be age appropriate...  Yeah, right!

This parenting gig is not for the faint of heart...

Being set apart, having high ideals for our children's behavior and character, not wanting to expose them to too much too soon is a battle being waged daily: the radio station they listen to, not being allowed to use social media, allowing some freedoms but with a very limited number of people in which we know their families.  It is HARD!  And trust me when I say, we get tired.  Instructing our kids day in and day out is draining and exhausting!  We yell and get frustrated, but we also have learned to ask for forgiveness and make things right before we go to bed.  It has been such a dance between holding on and letting go, all the while wondering if we have modeled and trained in a love-filled, grace-filled way.  I don't know.  I hope so, but hope is all I have to rely on some days.

I want my kids to further His kingdom.  I want them to desire to serve Him, to find their passion and use it for good.  I want them to have their own individual relationships with God because it's what they come to want, not because it's all we have ever wanted for them.  I think some people say they want their kids to love God and do good, but then they don't do the necessary work to instill excellent character traits in them.  Kids need to learn it at home first because so much of the world is working to undo their convictions.  There is a battle being waged on our children's hearts and we must fight for them.  We must protect them from too much too soon.  We must teach them what it means to be humble, trustworthy, honest, and faithful.  Our actions, our words, our ways are constantly ushering the way into who they will become. And even if we do all things right, there is no guarantee they will walk the road we would like them to, being the type of people we had trained them to be, living a life of service that we had hoped for them.  And in those instances, we pray God uses it all for His good and we hold on to hope.  

This raising of kingdom kids in a world that is so dark and full of trouble is hard.  But God's call on our lives as parents, is to be in it for the long haul--to do the work we were sent here to do.  It is our responsibility to turn away from contemporary culture's allure to live a life filled with honor, service, love, kindness, and respect.  My prayer for my children is that they will hold tight to their biblical convictions and take a stand to be who God created them to be in a culture that is screaming something different. 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."--John 16:33

Dear Middle School Daughter,

Dearest Child of Mine,

I see you.  I see the way you're working hard in all your classes and earning A's.  I see the effort you're putting into math but the struggle is real.  I know.  I was the same way, that's why I taught English.

My sweet sixth grader, I look at you in your standard uniform, shorts and shirt, totally oblivious to the kind of fashion that means fitting in. You are comfortable in your own skin, and truth be told--that was foreign to me at your age.

You exude a confidence in your God-given talents; your voice and theater presence.  I think you shine so bright because you do it for Him. You already know where your gifts come from and you live a life of gratitude.

I hear how you invite your friends to the Christians in Action meetings at school.  And don't think I don't notice their faces before they politely reply, "it's not their thing."  And you don't miss a beat. . .you just tell them what you like about it and don't let their no silence you. And you keep extending invitations--to other people you meet, and daughter dearest, that makes my mama heart so incredibly happy.  Because you're only eleven and you already get one of the biggest truths of life: everything we do, we do it for Him.  We do it to be His hands and feet, to spread His love. . .and you already get it. I can't wait to see how He is going to continue to use you in this lifetime!

My little angel girl, you look at the developmentally handicapped kids at your school and see beauty.  You used to sit with them more regularly before you started going to math tutoring. . .but you call them by name. You let them know you see them and they are loved.  Talk about shining His light!  I promise we will be cheering at the Special Olympics this year if we can't volunteer.  I will do what I can to develop this gift God has given you in working with these special ones.

Middle school is a breeding ground for cruelty, teasing, and bullying.  Thank you for knowing who you are and being one hundred percent okay with that.  As some of your friends have gone the way of popularity for now, know that it's not about your heart, or who you really are.  It's about who they are.  And they might not be as confident and secure like you are. . .and you just keep loving them anyway.  They may come back around.  And if they don't, just know your mama is praying all day every day, that God gifts you that person who loves you, who gets you, who will be your BFF for life.  And she will be revealed eventually, love.

As far as Social Media goes, I get that is what these young people do. . .how they communicate.  I do.  But please know that you must be 13-years-old according to their policies.  Neither you nor your friends is thirteen yet.  End of story.  And just to be clear, thirteen is not necessarily the magic age where it's going to happen for you either.  We will discuss it when the time comes.  For now, be blessed with not knowing. Their status' and bios change like they change their underwear: daily ( I hope)!  You don't have to see what everyone else is doing all of the time, and chances are you might not be able to do it anyways.  You know how we are.  We are your parents and we love you but with that comes great responsibility to protect you and not expose you to too much before you're ready. So we are doing the best we can. . .so Social Media is a no.  Not yet.

Daughter dearest, let us keep pouring into you.  Let us saturate you with family time and memories that will make you remember how it was so good to be a kid.  Let us love you. Let us encourage you.  Let us inspire you to be the best you--you can be.  Right now, I have so much admiration for who you are and what you are about.  Keep shining His light and be who He created you to be.

All my love always,
Mom

  

Light in the Dark

When the craziness of the world overwhelms me I generally cocoon up in our house.  I pay closer attention to the details of what happens in our four walls because lets face it: that's all we have any control over.  Even that control is questionable as the kids are growing up and entertaining their own thoughts and ideas and opinions. But sometimes things happen that bring us all together and I rest in appreciation for the support system we have in place in this time and space.

It has been one heck of a week.  A doozy.  Three separate phone calls regarding three separate incidents in which two of my kids were the victims of meanness and/or inappropriateness.  I'm not sure why it all happened in the same week. . .but it did and there's nothing I can do about it now except continue to pray for protection over my kids and for the hearts of those kids I do not know but who desperately need Jesus. When I think about it, it's as if God was preparing the way by me having been invited to serve on the interview board for the new assistant principal. Having already experienced one of the incidents, it gave me new, clear eyes to see what qualities as a parent I deemed not only important to this new person's position, but absolutely necessary.

Dare I say that although I wish none of these three events happened, I am grateful that in all three quick action was taken to make sure my  kids felt listened to and secure.  I am grateful the situations were handled swiftly and seriously.   No one belittled or played down the instances, they let me and my children know that they took these things seriously and there would be consequences for the misbehavior.

As for my kids, I am proud of them for using their voices.  Lene said she wanted to call me (no minutes left on her phone) at break to see if I thought she should tell on a boy for his actions, but she trusted her gut that what he did to her hurt and wasn't right so she spoke to her counselor.  And Bubba--he is no joke.  He waited up in the office for the principal.  There was no way he was going back to his class without talking to the man in charge.  They both did the right things. . .in spite of being called tattlers by their aggressors.

For the longest (since my first Mom Heart conference where I heard it) I've said, "Right is always right even if no one is doing it.  Wrong is always wrong even if everyone is doing it."  This week, even in the absolute craziness of it, the heartbeat that races when I see the kid's schools on the other end. . .I am reminded that we've done our part with them and "in this world you will have trouble. . ." (John 16:33)
The book of Esther 4:14 says, 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  My kids are called for such a time as this. . .this crazy world they are living in to be His hands and feet, to shine His light, and to be the kingdom kids they were called to be.  All of these "incidents" are just further examples that instill the importance of their holy work in the school setting.

Here's to the weekend and the relief and joy only family can bring.!

Our view at cross country practice

Sweet sleep.  His mercies are new every morning.

Rough week? Game time with mom will make you feel better.

When it's really rough. . .I make thirty minutes in the backyard away from everyone a priority. We debrief and I feel better, ready to conquer. . .round four.

While You Were Sleeping. . .

I was busy recording our history.  And what a life story we are blessed to be living!

Fifth grade has been so good to my Lene Bean!  She has no idea how my heart hurts to realize that she is no longer just across the street from me.  No more lunch together on Thursdays, no more watching her walk across the street in the morning and after school, no more glimpses of her on the way to her pal's classroom or throughout the day.  There is something so incredibly comforting to know she is right here.

My heart bursts with sadness and joy at the same time as I watch her growing into a young lady.  She has spread her wings and flown so much this year from spending nights away from the house to roller coasters!

Each week we've had two friends come over to do homework and play.  I love that they are noticers of the world around them but still want to play chef and write plays and dance.  She is on the cusp of growing into a young lady but she is in no hurry and enjoying the life around her.

Fifth grade party, a dedication in the yearbook, memories were made that symbolize a great elementary school experience!  But now the transition to middle school begins where I pray:  Lord, help her to be strong in her faith and seek people who seek you.  Let her continue to be a world changer by shining your light in the darkness.  Grow her friendships stronger and enlarge her circle of positive influencers.  Be present. Keep her safe, happy, and secure. Amen.