Education is life with intentional joy!

"All schools both here and in America should teach far fewer subjects far better."

- C.S. Lewis

Motherhood is such a unique occupation.  Taxi driver, cook, counselor, teacher, coach, heart specialist and the list goes on and on.

I've always believed that one cannot give what one does not have. 

As a mom, this plays out daily as I see my children's weaknesses as a reflection of my own.  I shine in the area of one that needs HELP to finish tasks as I look to my left and notice I've begun sweeping the floor but left the math test I was correcting sitting on the counter while I listen to dad tell me why he likes Angel Soft toilet paper better than Scott because he needs...you know where that's going.

But, we are ALL ON A JOURNEY.  Daily, my Bible tells me, I'm being conformed to the image of my Father in heaven.  That encourages me to believe that as I'm learning to submit to His voice and follow Him, I, in turn, will direct my kids down the path to freedom.

Today, being MONDAY, and as my dad is home from the hospital and I have a 'slightly' weightier workload on my shoulders, I got up even earlier to talk to Daddy and read His Word.  I have been asking Him to give me HIS eyes for the boys education. 

The 'schedule/routine' of a "Traditional School Day" is, to be quite honest, out the window. 

I know that. 

If I strive with having to have things the way everyone around me does, I'll pull out my hair, give up and put 'em in school.  (I did tell them yesterday that unless they decide they really want to be home and learn, they are going to school.  But that was to somehow convey that I do not have to put up with their stinkin' thinkin' that they shouldn't have to work...)

...and I believe they knew I meant business.

This morning, when I asked Daddy to open my eyes to HIS leading, I sensed peace.  The boys got up, went straight to eat, took care of their hens and then, just like usual, they climbed in bed with me to warm up.  But today, Caleb walked in with his Bible and began reading the Proverb of the day. 
Now God had my attention.  My prayers were beginning to manifest.  Wow.  THEY proceeded to bring me what they needed my help with...

One of my new duties is to take mom to dialysis three days a week, a job I'd not really needed to tend to since my folk's initially moved to TX and I had to show them around town.   So, I took Caleb with me so he can get the wheelchair in and out of the car for me.  As he helped his gramma into her chair, it hit me...this is learning.  This is why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Watching him hold her hand, wheel her in and care for her so tenderly and then run back in because he thought she'd called him back, reminded me that He is in this whole ordeal.  I just need my thinking changed about what my expectations are and then to listen daily, actually moment by moment.
As we stood in line at the grocery store after dropping mom off, the cashier asked Caleb if he was off today and he, helping her load the groceries in the bags, told her he was homeschooled.  Again, it hit me..here we are, he's learning about comparison shopping, serving the cashier and communicating with a stranger in a positive

Hope is rising.

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I really want them to be able to speak publicly, so I grabbed the Communication book I have (it's gotta be from the 80's, which always brings lots of laughs) and on the way home, Caleb was reading the assignment and orally answering the questions about 'being self aware'.  

Question:  "What is the one thing you like least about your gender and also about the opposite gender?"

His answer:  The one thing I like least about the male gender is that they won't shutup and ask for directions...and the thing I dislike most about women is that THEY WON'T LEAVE THE MAN ALONE!"

Perhaps it's just the way he said it or maybe his perception about genders, but I could not stop laughing and the tears were making it difficult to see the road!

I post this to remind myself that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  Though things don't 'look' like the traditional way of learning, I'm seeing things much more clearly today!