New seasons

Kickoff for the new semester for PWOC was this past Tuesday and I'm quite excited about the new study I'll be taking.  We'll be going through Counsel From The Cross.  I can't wait!  I've been reading through the book since a friend passed it along to me this Summer.  I believe this will be an amazing journey this semester.  As a lay person I can see the benefits but as a Chaplain's wife I see the need for this "back to the basics" of healing through the Cross of Christ.

We've kicked school back off this week, as well.  We took time off around the holidays and then we were fighting the yucky stuff going around our area.  But we're on the mend and back to work.  We've decided to add Khan Academy back into our daily routine for Math.  Wyatt just struggles with Math and though Teaching Textbooks has been so helpful to his style of learning I think the Khan Academy will further cement his learning and help build his confidence.  He is working hard to have victory with his ADD daily and I'm so proud of his efforts.  He does still struggle with getting lost in thought but he is learning that he can have some control over this.  I would have never chosen this battle for him but through it I am seeing him draw closer to the Lord.  He has never gotten angry or upset with God, either, which is pretty mature for a 12 year old boy, I think. 

Mike and I are also going to meet with a local Christian private school to begin consideration for Wyatt for school next year.  I'm a huge homeschool advocate and honestly believe it's the way to go.  However, the Lord has taught me not to be so dogmatic with that and, especially being military, being open to what else He might be doing in our lives and in our son's life.  We're not sure if this is the direction to pursue, but we're having the meeting to begin praying about it.  They used to offer a day for your child to come shadow a student and if they still offer that, we may take a day and let Wyatt have that experience especially if we feel led to pursue this option for school next year.

Wyatt has been taking an online History class through The Potter's School this year, too.  It has been a wonderful experience for him and his teacher is fabulous!  We might consider adding some more TPS classes to our homeschool next year but we're still in the praying and seeking stage in it all.  Wyatt does want to take German, which continuing to homeschool and signing him up for German through TPS would work well.  He is also interested in some computer programming classes, which he could also get through TPS, too.  We know those opportunities would be less available for him if he went to private school so we will definitely have to be seeking the Lord's guidance on it all. 

We would covet your prayers as we seek to find what next year will hold for Wyatt and us, as well.

Coming home

Yes, I'm home.  I seriously thought about giving my blog up for many reasons.  I haven't been here to see the new changes on Blogger till today.  Wow!
But at the request and encouragement of a dear friend I am back "home" on my blog and deciding to blog again.  Perhaps with a renewed vision.  Perhaps nothing will change.  I'm not sure yet.  For now, I will start with an update on what is happening in our lives and our new duty station.

We simply love being in Missouri!  We love Fort Leonard Wood and the Ozarks.  I have always loved the mountains so this is a wonderfully perfect place for us; in the heart of the Ozarks.  Yes, we've had to adapt to not being right at everything we could possible want but there is a simplicity in that.  Usual shopping arenas like Target aren't close and require planning a trip to go.  I do more online shopping now.  Yet, we have enjoyed making the most of the two small towns outside post, getting to know small local dealers and shop owners personally.  We've learned the joys of small towns.
We also spend a lot of time as a family now doing things we haven't normally done in the past.  We're outside more.  Lots of hiking and trails and rivers nearby.  In fact, there is a cave complex and hiking trails right on post along with swimming holes along the river that passes through post.  We also enjoy car rides with a drink and snack or an ice cream as we meander through the countryside exploring this gorgeous scenery. 

Other perks of our new duty station is that we are in a wonderful neighborhood on post in a great house!  We have dear friends and fellow Chaplain family down the street and a large homeschool population here.  It's simply refreshing to be able to tell Wyatt to just go ride his bike or take a walk and not have to worry for his safety.  We are part of a new co-op of military families and have enjoyed building relationships with dear sisters who walk this crazy milie walk like we do.  Wyatt has begun 7th grade here and we are seeing improvements with his ADD...Most days.  There are still struggles and I still daily have to give him to the Lord, trusting the Lord's plan for Wyatt. 

I've been reconnected to the military organization called PWOC, Protestant Women of the Chapel.  I've missed being a part of PWOC and have enjoyed getting reconnected within this body of believers.  I love this year's theme of Generation to Generation.  It strikes close to my heart especially as I long to encourage women in their walk and seek to encourage younger women, too.  This alone has been worth the move away from home and SC to here.  :-)

Mike is thoroughly enjoying his job as Ethics Instructor for the Engineer School here.  It is a unique position for him and gives him time for counseling, which is his love and gift.  He has also been blessed within this position to have the time to work on his dissertation.  As always, the soldiers he meets love him and the civilians he works with have welcomed him into their midst and enjoy his GI Joe collection and his little coffee shop he sets up out of his office.

We have also left our city roots behind and learned all about nature and wildlife we've only read about before.  Our neighborhood is surrounded by woods and we have a great deal of wildlife that comes up out of the woods.  The one thing we have had to get used to is the skunks that love to wander around.  One morning, Mike was late to work because a skunk had positioned itself near enough to his truck, he couldn't get close to it!  It was quite humorous.  We had twin deer this summer that wandered up into the yards each evening and we enjoyed watching them grow, lose their spots and then develop their antlers.  We had a groundhog family living in a drainage pipe in our backyard, too.  What interesting creatures to watch and read about.  We've also learned that moles have nothing on armadillos when it comes to destroying a yard.  And they seem to really prefer our yard to anyone else's yard on our street!
There are many varieties of birds and I can sit at our office computer or in our schoolroom and watch the many birds that visit our feeders.  We're still learning all the different birds we have.

We've also had some sad and happy times.  Moving with four cats was most interesting but they all did quite well.  Well, other than Dixie tearing through the mesh on her nice, new carrier.  Dusty even did well in spite of his age and infirmities.  But we did lose Dusty this Summer.  He had begun losing weight and his kidney disease had progressed.  He needed fluids that we gave to him underneath his skin between his shoulders.  As always, he was a trooper and handled everything we had to do to him with grace.  However, he lost down to about 7 lbs and we had to put him to sleep in July.  He was 16 1/2 years old.  What a privilege to care for such a special cat for so long.  Yet it was hard and there was a huge hole in our house and in our hearts after his death.
We just recently adopted an adult kitty from the post clinic who had been left behind.  We named him Asher, which means "happy" which fits him to a "T."  He has fit in nicely with our other kitties and has the cutest little bob tail!  What a blessing he's been to have around.

Through these past few months we've seen and felt God's gracious hand on us as we transitioned from SC to MO and transitioned back into military life from school.  We've met many wonderful new friends, reconnected with friends from early in our military life.  We've felt God's leading and have such a peace in this new place. 
I hope to take the time to maneuver through this new Blogger and update my blog in other ways, especially my books and curriculum, etc. 
Thank you for visiting and I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do with this renewed attempt at continuing to blog and share our homeschool life and what the Lord is teaching me.
And Happy New Year!

Asher, the newest addition

Christmas Eve at our Chapel service.  

Yes, Wyatt is now over 6 ft. tall!

On the move again ~ literally

I think I'll just skip the usual line of how I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted and how I will try to do better.  It's obvious I'm a "hit or miss" blogger and I will admit it now.  I guess the first step is admitting it, isn't it?   :-)

We're on the move again.  My sweet husband is almost at the end of his school year so we're getting ready to move on to our next assignment.  The Army had him in school for Ethics so he was enrolled in a Master's in Sacred Theology and he will graduate in early May.  Yay!  Then we're off.  Where, you ask?  Missouri!

Yes, we're going to be stationed next at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks and pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  So for this city girl, I'll have to get some hiking boots and take up hiking.  In a way, it will be exciting for us as a family.  This has been some kind of busy year and going somewhere that is quieter will give us a chance to really reconnect as a family and focus on what is important.  Mike was not only working on his STM but he is also enrolled in his Doctor of Ministry degree on his own, so he was working on two higher degrees at once.  Whew! In God's grace, he is now "ABD" or all but dissertation now in his DMin and graduating with his STM next month.  Though our dreams of taking field trips galore together as a family fell by the wayside, it was nice to have him home with us every day.  Wyatt also was able to see what diligent study habits look like and how perseverance and diligence pay off.

Wyatt was enrolled in a homeschool academy one day a week this year which was new, as well.  What a wonderful experience for him!  He had wonderful teacher-moms and he learned so much.  So much of what he learned wasn't in the books per se but life lessons which took on great meaning for him.  

The year was also filled with struggles for him as we learned that our dreamer also struggles with ADD.  If you have a child with ADD I highly recommend looking into the book, Healing ADD with Dr. Amen.   This book gave us tremendous insight into Wyatt, why he does, and doesn't do, some of those things he does...And doesn't do.  We see now why it is so hard for him to stay focused and why it is so easy for him to get lost in the stories he makes up in his mind.  We tried the medication route without much success.  So we've moved to adding some supplements like Krill Oil, an exercise regimen, and adding behavior modifications to his routine.  And the routine is, well, not routine as much as it is a strict schedule.  All these together helped him but there are long days and hard days.  We haven't ruled out medication, for I believe there can be a balance.  Perhaps once we get settled in MO there will be some time to continue looking into that.


I think the Lord has especially been working in Mike and me through these struggles.  We have to accept Wyatt where is he and help him to get to where he needs to be.  It's been a year of helping him accept himself and accept God's design for him.  I can say quite confidently that though the ADD and dreamer in him makes for school struggles, God has a perfect plan for his life and those characteristics are a part of who is he and part of his calling.  I also believe they are a part of drawing Wyatt closer to the Lord and teaching Wyatt complete reliance on Him for what he needs.  That's been a tough thing for me.  To give my child so completely over to the Lord for the first time.  I've always thought I had done it before, yet I had not at all.  I could not "fix" this in Wyatt.  I was helpless to help him some days.  I, too, had to completely rely on the Lord.  And in that, I was showing Wyatt how to rely on Him.  Oh, it wasn't pretty most days.  Some days were quite messy and others were a wash with regards to "official" school work.  But God's grace overflowed.

I am excited about our newest endeavor and will honestly try to do better about writing about what the Lord is teaching me, and all of us, through this journey in the Army and life.  

Lesson from nature

Bloom where you are planted.

From eliaslar

The sharing of my faith

For some time now I've been pondering Philemon 1:6.  "...I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.^"
What I have been pondering over is not the sharing of my faith in general with people I meet, strangers, or those not in my family per se.  What I have been pondering for some time is how this verse speaks to me as a Mom and what implications it has for me in my daily life with our son.  Wyatt is a precious gift to our family and especially precious to us as he is our only child.  The weight of the knowledge that he is our only child weighs more particularly in light of our desire to raise him to be a man of God.   It's been a road that hasn't always been straight or clear, and at times, the road has become quite rocky with dangerous curves and unexpected turns.  We've done battle with the enemy on behalf of and alongside our son especially these last two years.  My husband and I have become more convinced with each passing day how so very much the enemy seeks to derail our son in his walk with the Lord.  And because of this I, especially, have given into more controlling behavior, desiring to "change" our son without truly getting at the roots by constantly correcting him and not truly building my relationship with him.  I was trying to be the Holy Spirit to him.  In doing that I began driving him away and planting a seed of rebellion that was looking for a place to plant itself.  Then one day, the Lord showed me Philemon 1:6.
 What struck me, especially with this verse, are the words, "may become effective for the full knowledge of everything good."  When I began really meditating on this verse I noticed that sharing my faith isn't just preaching at or to people and especially my son.  All the "sharing" in the world falls on deaf ears if not covered with prayer, love, and edification.  "The sharing of my faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in Wyatt." (emphasis mine).
Look closely.  My sharing is effective when I acknowledge the good things that are in Wyatt.  Instead of only focusing on what I perceive that needs "fixing" I focus on the good things while sharing with him from my walk.  Leading him and guiding him in love is much more effective when I don't focus on the negative all the time.   Now I know our children need correction and reproof and discipline.  What I am sharing here is that I cannot only focus on what needs correcting without the balance of encouragement and edification.  I think that is where we moms have the hardest time.  We fall into the trap of comparing our children to others or ourselves to others.  We seem to desire the best for our children and lose sight of the importance of seeing the good things in them.  So we begin always focusing on what needs to change without effectively encouraging them in what ways they are succeeding.  
I began making a conscience effort to begin sharing my faith with Wyatt without all the preaching at him and began sharing while acknowledging the growth I was seeing in him.  When walking into his room, instead of immediately commenting on the condition of the room and how it needed cleaning, I began commenting on a decision he made during the day that was right and true.  Or congratulating him for the self-control he practiced in staying focused on finishing his schoolwork.  Once I began acknowledging every good thing in him, it opened his heart to receiving correction more readily.  What both my husband and I are noticing is that he is much more willing to enter into conversations with us regarding issues that are bothering him, struggles he is having, or even doubts he may be experiencing.  We have freed him to be allowed to make mistakes and know that we will love him regardless.  He now knows that he can come and talk through issues with us without condemnation from us.  Whether or not we were condemning him that is what he perceived.
So each day is an opportunity to focus on sharing my faith with Wyatt knowing it will be more effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in him.  This journey through some of the toughest years for a child have a whole new look to them now that I have freed myself (and Wyatt), from being preached to/at and entering into a relationship where he is encouraged and edified and even disciplined with love and encouragement.  Reminds me of a Southern saying, "You attract more flies with honey than vinegar."

New School Year!

Well, we've started our school year here.  Actually we did a little school over the Summer.  Mostly Math and some Grammar.  Took some time off with DH and now we've kicked off.  So far it's all going swimmingly!  :-) 
We did change a good many things with our curriculum and I am liking the changes.  This year is going to be so different in so many ways.  DH will be earning a Masters in Sacred Theology in Ethics for the Army this year and that's basically his job.  He is going to school.  No unit duties, no Chapel duties (Yay, we get to go to church like a "regular" family), just school.  He is working on his DMin on his own so he'll have a full plate but he will be home.  So this will truly be a schoolin' little home this year!  
I'm quite excited for this will be such a benefit to our little family.  We have made some changes to our schedule and made some different family rules but also are building more time in as a family together now that he is free from Army unit duties.  He can be more involved with our school, be able to carry out family devotionals more regularly and our son can have more "Daddy time."  Honestly I know DH will miss the  ministry to the soldiers but I feel sure he will have an active ministry every day with our family and with his fellow students.  His gifts are Exhortation and Encouragement and I can see him using them everyday.  
Our son is growing like crazy, too.  He's officially two inches taller than me now and I do believe he might have grown a touch more as he can see clear over my head now!  He's only 11!  God has blessed him with height.  We have tall people on my side of the family way back so I guess those genes have come out.  He is adjusting to "sticking out like a sore thumb" around his friends but we continue to work with him on accepting God's design for him.   He has had a Summer of struggles but the Lord has been so gracious and steadfast with him and us.  Our prayers are reaping fruit and it is a joy to see our son come full circle.  We are convinced the Lord has set him aside for something special because the enemy certainly has been working overtime on him.  But we are in the trenches with him and will remain in the trenches arming ourselves with our best weapons...Prayer and The Word.
Of late I've become more and more convinced of the power of prayer.  Not that I wasn't before but the books I've been reading lately have brought this to the forefront of my pondering.   Our enemy works like crazy to keep us too busy to pray.  If we don't pray then he can keep us sidelined.   Keep us busy, tired, engaged, distracted or whatever and we become ineffective.  
But I also see that our prayers do affect heaven.  Our prayers are heard.  They really are.  Heaven isn't some ethereal place and God isn't some impersonal being that looks down His nose at us.  Heaven is for real, like the book says, and God loves us with an eternal, burning love.  He desires to have us commune with Him and send our prayers to His throne!  And what a release it is to realize He does listen, care and reach down to His loved ones.
I know there is so much more to share because I'm not always good about posting regularly but these thoughts are what come to mind tonight.  
Lean on the Lord for He is good.  Call on His name at all times.  He loves you!

Memorial Day, Summer...This and that

I honestly cannot believe it's Summer already.  Where does time go?  
Life has had us busy lately but it's been all good and full of blessings from the Lord.  We're gearing up for a year of my husband being in school full-time for the Army.  So the whole house will be "doing school" next year.  It will be an exciting time and a time to reconnect as a family with the added blessings of him being home more than being gone.  We can't wait.  I can't wait!

We are also in the midst of fostering kittens for a rescue organization in town.  After having to put my sweet Sadie to sleep we've wanted another cat but Mac hasn't been feeling that need as much as we have.  :-)   We like to adopt older cats that most people overlook but it seems we have had this run lately of personalities that don't mesh well together.  So the next best thing is fostering!  We currently have 7 kittens which means our normally quiet little house is rocking with tons of kitten energy.  Dusty doesn't seem to mind too much but he's never much minded other cats or kittens.  Fresca, DS's kitty, is pretty much freaked out.  Mac has actually been the surprise.  He has played and played with the kittens and been like a big brother to them.  It's been so sweet to watch.  Since having the kittens they have grown so much and it has been quite fun to watch their personalities blossom.  My precious husband has even said I could adopt one if I wanted.  Such a sweetie.  I haven't decided yet.  

We commemorated Memorial Day yesterday.  Because we are a patriotic family and military family that holiday holds a special meaning for us, but since 2003 it holds a particularly special meaning.  That year was the first year of the war in Iraq and my husband's first deployment.  One certain 1st Sgt. went out of his way to befriend my husband and that friendship grew and deepened before and during their deployment.  Not everyone wants to be friends with "the Chaplain" but Robert sought my husband's friendship out.  However Robert J. Dowdy lost his life during the ambush/attack on the 507th Maintenance Company in March of 2003.  This loss still affects my husband to this day and Robert and his family are never far from our thoughts and prayers on Memorial Day.  We know we will see Robert again but miss him now on this earth as we know his family does.  

We're also excited about some changes we'll be making with school next year.  Another year of growth in the Lord and hearing Him clearly in some areas has led to the changes.  We'll still use the Wisdom Booklets as supplemental curriculum but looking into fine-tuning our direction with our son's gifts.   I am excited about the changes and look forward to seeing how the Lord will use them to work in our lives especially our son.  But as always I seem to see all the good for him and the Lord winds up working in my own life the most.  

Stay cool in the new Summer heat that has been turned on.  I was sincerely hoping for a more temperate summer since we had a colder winter but it appears that since June 1st has a heat index of 110 forecast I may be in for a disappointment.  :-)

Proper response?

It's been quite a week for Americans and for our family since we are a military family.  With the death of Usama Bin Laden there has been a myriad of emotions here.  And there has been a myriad of concerns that have been awakened in military families across the globe.  However as Christians how should we rightly respond to this news?  I've seen and heard a number of speakers, teachers and others remarking and voicing their opinions about the proper response of Christians to the news of Bin Laden's death.  But the opinion that means the most to me is the one of God.

One verse is Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"  2 Peter 3:9 also states, "...not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
I believe that we should not rejoice in Bin Laden's death so much as we should be saddened and our hearts quickened.  We should not rejoice that he is now suffering eternal torment beyond anything we can imagine.  Yes the world is less one evil man who reeked much havoc in so many lives.  But rejoicing in his death knowing he is suffering eternally, I think, should not be our response.  We should be reminded rather that we, too deserve such punishment but have been redeemed to share in eternal glory with our Lord.

Yes, there are instances in the Bible where evil was defeated and the people rejoiced.  Certainly that is a human response and I'm not saying that we should not be glad that Bin Laden can no longer perpetrate his evil.  We should be glad of that.  But we need to be tempered in our rejoicing for it could quite easily have been us that would suffer the punishment we all deserve if it were not for the blood of Christ.


If you do not know Jesus and the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life please go here to find out more about the grace and mercy of a loving and merciful God.


For another insight that got me thinking about all this see Francis Chan's response.
 

What good can come?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18 NIV

 Because of His sacrifice that is why we can commemorate Good Friday and call it "Good."  And His sacrifice was given willingly.  He even gave His life.  It was not taken from Him.  He gave it even to His last breath.  This isn't the end but the beginning!

Soul Surfer

Our family went to see the movie Soul Surfer this afternoon.  I recommend you to go see it if you have a chance.  An excellent movie that shows the Hamilton's family faith loud and clear.  I tell you, Bethany Hamilton is quite a role model for young people.
So if you are looking for a great family movie take some time to see Soul Surfer and be encouraged.