You and I can not change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.  Warren Wiersbe 

Oh, how the world around me is changing!  Our youngest child, Joel, will be dual-enrolling at the local college in the fall.  That means that after 25 years of homeschooling seven children, I have almost finished this race.

Just parenting seven children (five born within 6 1/2 years) brought huge changes to my life, most importantly because I didn’t have the example of parental attention or love as a child.  As one can imagine, I had a lot of growing up to do myself, and those first few children felt the impact.  I’ll probably write more on that some day.

But, homeschooling? That was Bill’s idea.  I eventually got on board with it, and it brought so many more changes to my life than I could have ever expected – especially for a girl who dropped out of high school.  How insecure it feels to basically say to the state, “I can do a better job teaching my children than you can,” when you secretly wonder if you can.

So a couple of years ago, with this finish line almost in sight, I entertained the idea that it wouldn’t be long until I could rest of my laurels (or kick up my heels) when I completed this course.  Unlike some of my friends who love teaching (and love their children), I only love my children and do not like teaching.  More specifically, I don’t like switching hats from mommy to teacher to nurturer, back to mommy, then to teacher (then to prison guard – LOL), then back to mommy, then to teacher, nurturer, repeat.  I didn’t like it, but how it forced me into needed changes.   And that leads me to my next life-verse (my life-verses keep changing, too).

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow – or next year – we will rest on our laurels or kick up our heels after finishing an iron-man of a homeschooling adventure.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will rest on our laurels or kick up our heels, and also do this or that.”  James 4-kind of…

Then two years ago, Bill took an early “retirement” – and promptly went into business for himself.   That meant that all the free time I would have gained not homeschooling has been spent (and much, much more) learning how to run a home office and understand QuickBooks.   At my age, no less.  That in itself has brought huge changes for a woman who loves writing words, not tracking pesky, unforgiving numbers.

And just to keep life changing, Bill’s dream to sail became a reality last weekend with his adoption of a 26′ sailboat.  Me?  On a sailboat?  Me, who loves to walk romantically along the beach as long as I don’t have to actually get into the ocean, is going to learn to sail?  On the ocean?  I expect many future posts about this new adventure, and have created a page for sailing (which Bill thinks is a very worthy endeavor!).

So, by grace, this mother who was raised in a highly dysfunctional, secular environment, had seven children who have turned out to be the most amazing people (each of whom she wants to be like in so many ways).  By grace, this girl who quit high school actually taught them to read, and watched them fly from there, each finishing well (one to go, but he is on his way).  By grace, this writer who will never (ever!) enjoy tracking debits and credits is now (somewhat clumsily, but eventually successfully) keeping the books for her husband’s companies.  And by grace, this woman who has never been fond of water is now going to learn to sail.  By grace.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.  2 Cor 12:9

And now for this blog.  I absolutely love to write.  It is therapeutic form of word-sculpture, and is very fun for me.  However, with all these changes, I hope I will be able to find – no, to make – the time for it.  (I have actually created this blog while away sailing/working with Bill and Joel for the week.)  We will see if I can keep it up when I jump back into real life in a few days.

And now, I must get ready to leave with Bill for a business meeting.  One of those changes I am still not used to….