...third week of school... & ...part two...

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isaiah 55:2 KJV)

This was a pretty busy week - third week of school with a Monday holiday. We spent the weekend getting to know several families. Everyone here is so friendly and loving. We've been very blessed so far.

On Monday, Jason helped Joelle make her world cake. Joelle wanted carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. She insisted that I outline the globe cake, but she quickly made adjustments such as adding the Yucatan Peninsula that I had not properly represented in my outlining. She frosted the map cake entirely on her own.




Tuesday we crammed in two days of school and missed PE class and Boy Scouts only to discover that Wednesday and Thursday were fairly light. We'll make it to PE and Scouts next week. :) It was very nice to receive a personal call from a new friend saying that my kids were missed at PE!

We saved all the "fun" stuff for Friday; spending time at a pond so that Barry could gather "specimens" for a science experiment, making "Matthew" bookmarks, and creating sand art paintings. Tomorrow we plan to visit the bookstore and library.

Wednesday evening we went to dinner with a family who had been interviewing with My Father's World the previous day. They are a truly awesome family. Their experiences are similar to ours and it was a blessing to hear their stories of God's Faithfulness and Provision. I was reminded of these traits of my Savior and encouraged to follow the example of faithfulness of my Father.

In doing so, I came across the verse above in a "daily bread" type of devotional. I actually didn't believe it was scripture when I first read it and thought I was reading a paraphrase. But after further study I found the above in the KJV! God is so hip! The thought of being fat with God just caught my attention. I pray that I will be so fat in the LORD, that I ooze Jesus. :)

After 2.5 years, Jason returned to the state of our dreaded accident. :) He is in Flagstaff, AZ. this weekend, less than one hour from Winslow, AZ. where our trailer flipped on I-40. While reflecting on that night, I was reminded of what Barry had said in his youthful wisdom.

Shortly before we embarked on our cross-country trip in March of 2009 our church had hosted a speaker - Al Menconi. He talked about how Jesus resembles a fist and each person is like an open hand. In all our circumstances - good, bad or ugly - God is continuing to mold us to look like Jesus. The fingers must go; all the things that keep us from looking like Jesus. And, yes, it may be painful.

Those two windy, dusty days in Winslow brought a lot of questions for our lives, but Barry quickly reminded us of what Al Menconi had shared. This was just a time of God molding us and making us more like him.

As I look over the last two and a half years I am in awe and thankfulness for what God has done for our family. His Faithfulness and Provision have been ever present and, in many times what seemed to us, miraculous! It is an honor and a blessing to be molded and used by the Lord.

...part one...

As I was writing Friday's blog post about school I was thinking that we really hadn't done much this week. Then I realized I had been focusing on the "school" part of the week and suddenly I began to remember other parts of the week. Here are a few highlights from our week.

Monday - We took a spontaneous 30 minute (one way) drive to Waynesville to visit what we believe to be the nearest Starbucks. (If any Rolla people know of a place closer, PLEASE let us know!)

Tuesday - The homeschool PE class at The Center began this day. Barry and Joelle attended and they both loved it and plan to return. Thankfully, due to MFW connections and attending church a couple times, they already knew one or two other kids their ages.

Wednesday - Erin and Barry attended youth group again at Vineyard. They both enjoyed it and met new friends. Erin was approached by a girl Barry's age. The girl said, "Your brother's cute!" Erin wasn't really sure how to respond so she said, "Thanks!" That's my boy - quite the charmer. Or, as the SMRBC girls would call him - Foxy Caleb.

Thursday - We had our first visitors from Virginia!! Mark and Linda Whitworth have roots in Missouri. They were passing through the area on their way to a family gathering in Windermere and we met them for dinner! It was great to see familiar faces and get to know them even more. We know Mark and Linda from church and Erin got to know them well during the many weeks she spent playing with Mark in the worship band at the International Learning Center.

Sometime during the week - either Wednesday or Thursday - I rearranged the furniture in the family room. It now feels a little more roomy and homey. The kitchen still drives me a little crazy. While it has more cabinet and counter space than our last house, it has a lot less walking space. Two people in the kitchen is one too many! I'm still trying to habit myself into coordinating meal times, dishes, and laundry better to make it all less frustrating. And, to think I wanted to live in a travel trailer! What was I thinking!?

Joelle has met some neighborhood girls and spent time outside playing with them this week. One of them has a treehouse and they all have scooters! :) Please pray for Joelle's continued spiritual growth and her witness in these relationships. Mine as well! So far it's been a new learning experience.

Friday - Nothing much. :) We finished school work - except for the world cake. Cleaned rooms and finished chores and laundry so we could enjoy the weekend. We had loaded potato soup for dinner in bread bowls that Jason bought from Panera. YUM! I didn't know you could buy those! Then we watched a movie together - PROM.

We had planned to go to St. Louis on Saturday, but we remembered that we have dogs. You can't just up and leave for an entire day without making plans for dogs to either be watched by someone, boarded at a kennel, or taken with. None of those options seemed feasible the night before the planned leave. It's way too hot to attempt taking them. So, we're going to stay in the area and have a relaxed Saturday.

Sunday and Monday we have plans for dinner with new friends.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!!