31.12.12

Reflecting

     Maybe you have noticed that though I had been posting here daily for months now, I've slowed down. "Quality not quantity"- how's that for an 80's flashback? There will still be posts and pictures- highlights shared, reviews from Master Books, the Schoolhouse Review Crew, various things our family tries, and special offers from affiliate links and our home business, just no guarantee of daily posts. I'm now hosting my favorite meme ~ Scripture and a Snapshot ~ every Sunday; if you haven't already I hope you will join in with that. (Thank you if you already are joining me there.) Though I was a little late yesterday I am trying to be consistent with that. I've been contemplating a lot: my purpose, my reason for blogging, and what I want to share.

     A friend has recently been asking me a lot of thought provoking questions. "What is your dream? was one of her questions."  Sure I'd enjoy an unlimited budget, more date nights, a maid, more trips and nice hotel rooms. But none of those things are my dreams. I want to share God's love. I've said before that my mission field right now must be my home, maybe even my blog, but foreign missions seemed, well, not a possibility, at least not for me. But that changed.  For the first time ever, I'm planning to join a group on a foreign mission trip in 2013. My passport has arrived and reservations are made. I don't have an actual bucket list, but the trip seems to me an example of waiting on the Lord and Him fulfilling the desires of my heart. Please be praying with me that God is glorified throughout this trip. 

     Long ago I shared a magazine picture with my mom of a gorgeous house owned by a single lady. I remember the pictures of such a beautiful place: soft white sheers, all white furniture with fresh flowers tucked into unexpected places and green vines growing inside. No clutter! It was before I was married, and I distinctly remember discussing how nice it would be to have such a home. My Mom's words stuck with me. Not the exact words, but the meaning. She shared that we make choices, and those choices affect our lives. I'm not where I thought I would be when I was younger, but I am often content. We didn't live in  that magazine page house then, but that wasn't her goal and likely wouldn't be mine. She was right. Don't misinterpret me. I am in awe of friends with kids whose houses look like they could be featured in House Beautiful. I'm living in my dream home, but there are piles of clutter and I've come to terms with that. To my husband's occasional dismay, that isn't my priority. What is? My family.

     We all have to make choices, Right now I cherish being able to homeschool. This past year has included huge grief as well as a lot of family time. At times I  feel like I am living my dream. Though there are a million things I might change, there are also so many to be thankful for. Though the kids and I have taken turns being sick lately, being home more often than we usually are has been a treat. 

     For the last few months of 2012 I linked up with the First Day blog meme. If you click that link, you will see a big peek into the first day of each month in our house. Almost exactly a year ago I stopped hosting the Virtual Refrigerator meme. My kids had fun when I did it, and I enjoyed the focus on doing something artsy every week. The kids all received new art supplies for Christmas and have already enjoyed trying out some of  them. So Thursday I'll be waking up that meme again that has been hibernating for a year. Maybe some of that time not spent online will be devoted to making messes creating masterpieces with my kids. And you can share your kid's creations, too.

     Another first last year was our whole family getting to go on a mission trip together. In July we joined the Nailbenders to help build (expand) a church in Virginia. It was a wonderful experience which you can see glimpses of by clicking here. In October we joined my in laws for a Missouri vacation. Though we didn't travel as much as we did last year, we were still on the road a lot and have some lasting memories. 

     There is one more thing you can join with us- memorizing Scripture. The kids participated in the National Bible Bee for the first time, and it is something we all want to do again. We also had a family trip to Houston for the girls and I to join in Beth Moore's Siesta celebration. Our spirals just arrived and we will start that again January 1st. 

     Happy New Year!!!! I look forward to sharing with you and reading your comments in 2013. 
(image shared from a friend on Facebook)
Jennifer
This post is linked to The Schoolhouse Review Blog Cruise: 2012 A Look Back (link live Tuesday)


15 comments:

  1. I love this post. I am always in awe of moms whose homes look like they could be featured in Better Homes and Gardens and I wonder how they keep it that way while actually living and doing life there! I whine about the piles, but it is what it is!

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    1. I'm in awe of those moms, too, but when I walk into another imperfect home for the first time I can relax and enjoy visiting even more.

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  2. Jennifer,

    It sounds like you have a lot of wonderful plans for 2013, but also that you're going to allow God to direct you more.

    I love the idea of the beautiful home you mentioned, but what stands out the most to me is "no clutter." This will be a year of purging for me no matter how difficult that will be, especially with "stuff and things" I've been holding onto for a little too long.

    Those are wise words (the meaning) from your mother and I hope to take those to heart while I'm still able to make my own choices.

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    1. Yes, I am praying for God's direction. May we both be guided by Him in all of our choices this year.

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  3. Your mission trip sounds amazing. Looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

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    1. I am so excited, Wendy. Thanks!

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  4. Really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the past year & goals for the new one. I love this time of year as it causes us to reflect on our lives & where we can make imporvements!

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    1. Thanks, Karyn, I do want to continue improving.

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  5. It's true I can get in a funk that my house will never grace the cover of a magazine. On the other hand, I can be glad that I'll also never make an appearance on Hoarders. It's just a matter of perspective.

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    1. We aren't quite as bad as Hoarders, but watching shows like that motivates me to clean.

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  6. I can't wait to hear about your mission trip. That is something I have always wanted to do!

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    1. It is getting close and excitement is building!

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  7. Anonymous7/30/2019

    Stunning quest there. What happened after? Take care!

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  8. Anonymous10/05/2019

    I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought
    this post was great. I don't know who you are but definitely
    you're going to a famous blogger if you are not already
    ;) Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10/12/2019

    Great article. I am going through many of these issues as well..

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