Encouragement as we Begin a New School Year

I had the privilege of speaking at the South Austin Homeschool Network's Moms' Night Out at the beginning of the month.  I wanted to share here on my blog what I shared with the ladies that evening.  May you be blessed as you begin a new year with school, activities, and LIFE!!

Every year at this time, I get so excited to start some new things for school with the kids.  Whether I have schooled through the summer or taken a break, there is something about September that brings me to a place of renewed vision and commitment to my calling to homeschool my children.  Summer brings curriculum fairs, extra time to plan for the coming year, and much-needed rest.  So when school begins, I am ready!  We have new schedules that look so full of wonderful things on paper. We have new books, new pencils, notebooks, and school supplies.  We are excited, and maybe our kids are even excited as well!

We begin with a bang!  We look to our shiny new schedules to keep us on track. Things may even go great for the first day, few days or even a week or two.  Then reality hits--the new shiny pencils start to break, new crayons get lost, the kids aren't so excited about the new math, Science....fill in the blank...the baby gets sick, the car breaks down, and all those great hands on activities we are doing really mess the house up!  We fall off the wagon and begin to become discouraged!  

This year we didn't even get through the first day of school before my plans were interrupted!  I had a quite lovely schedule made up on a spreadsheet (I am a recovering perfectionist--God has given me a large family to cure me!), hanging in the kitchen.   We started school the first morning, and by 9am, we were already off schedule.  The kids found a dying Texas Spiny Lizard while doing their outdoor chores (dog got 'im?), and then my soft-hearted 9-yr-old boy was begging me to find a big box for him and look up what he ate so we could try to help him live.  The next couple of hours were dedicated to trying to save this lizard!  We let a couple of things go in the morning, and stayed *somewhat* on schedule the rest of the day, but this year I didn't even get one semi-perfect day.  When things like this happen, or worse, suddenly homeschooling seems so very hard, and we wonder where we went wrong, and where all our dreams will end up.  When this happens to me--and it invariably happens at some point during the early part of the year, and then again after Christmas break or after a vacation of some sort--I like to remind myself of why we are doing what we are doing.  Let's face it--this is not the easy road.  So, this is the time I like to list the reasons out, to revisit the journey we took to get where we are today.

When Todd and I started out, he was dead set against homeschooling.  He spent his childhood in public school, and he turned out pretty wonderfully (he's pretty awesome and my hero!), so he did not see the benefit in undertaking homeschooling our own children.  I did my student teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area, and during this experience, I came to feel that when we had children, I wanted something else for our children--private school?  We moved to Portland, Oregon and soon after became pregnant with our first child.  During this time, we became involved with the High School ministry at the church we attended.  We were impressed by all of the young people we met there.  Some of these high school students were homeschooled.  I had never even thought about homeschooling, but meeting these students and seeing parents could actually teach their own children at home, I was intrigued.  Todd still wasn't so sure.  A friend gave us the book Homeschooling Why and How, and gradually Todd was convinced.  After spending a year overseas in Israel, we moved to Texas and decided we would try homeschooling.  Shortly after returning to the States, I gave birth to our third child in less than 3 years, and Todd thought it was as good a time as any to "try out" homeschooling.  Preschool!  We did three days per week of preschool, and invited a friend to join us with her little girl.  We loved it!  Each year, as circumstances have changed and things have gotten more complicated (more and more babies, moving to a farm, etc.), it seemed that God was calling us to keep going.  Each year the Lord has confirmed that this is what He wants us to do.

Whenever I begin to feel overwhelmed or question whether this is the right path for us, there are some things I do to help me get back to the right place and some things that I can do to make it easier.  Here is a list of some of those things that you may find helpful as well:

1. Remind myself of the reasons we are choosing to homeschool.  Talk with your husband about what your vision for your homeschool is if you haven't done this yet, and then post them somewhere in your house to remind you.  I like to re-read some of the books we read in the beginning that inspired us to choose this path.  A couple of excellent books for this are: Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally and Clay Clarkson (the beginning of the book especially) and The How & Why of Homeschooling by Ray E Ballman.  There are many others out there.  Post the list of reasons somewhere you can see them every day.  (When doing this one time a couple of years ago,  I listed out some of the things I love about my life--you can read them in my blog post from March 24, 2011.)

2.  In keeping with the first tip, if you haven't laid out your goals for your homeschool, do it!  List out goals for each child for the year and for the long term so that you don't get caught up in what "everyone else" seems to be doing--that may not fit in with your goals!  While reading through Sally Clarkson's wonderful book, Seasons of a Mother's Heart, I came across this list of questions to ask myself that helped me a lot.
-What do I want my children to know? I want them to know the Truth so as to be able to be a channel of God's truth in this dark world.
-What do I want my children to be? I want the to grow up to be adults who show character.  Character speaks louder than words. (Yes, even Latin words, all you Classical Ed lovers out there!)
-What do I want my children to do? I want them to have the passion of Jesus for the lost and hurting. I want them to be people who see the needs of the world and then move their hands to reach out to the people for whom He died.

3.  Make lists of  all the positives and/or keep a gratitude journal.  Some examples from my own life are: my kids are best friends, they know how to interact with all ages from babies to adults very well, there is not really the "age barrier" that can be seen with kids in traditional classes (my 10-yr-old is good friends with kids who are two grades below her).  Life is the best classroom.  I can interact with the kids in the world around us and they learn soooo much--I get to be part of that 24/7!

 4.  Remind myself that God loves these children and has their future in His hands.  I just need to be faithful.  God always provides what the children need.  I am always so amazed at how I "stumble across" just the  right books for whatever we are studying.  One fall a few years ago, we were studying gardening and flowers, and the week we started, a HUGE banana spider wove her web right in front of our kitchen window, so we added in a unit on spiders, and it was incredible!!  God orchestrated the whole thing!  I should know by now that He cares for these children and He will give them just what they need for exactly what he is equipping them to do.

5.  On the practical side, I do make a schedule (or schedules) but take a deep breath and am flexible when things aren't happening exactly according to my plans.  This has taken me years to master, and there are days that I still have a hard time with it, but in general getting off schedule doesn't faze me anymore.  Remember that you are home schooling, NOT doing "school" at home!! You aren't a slave to any curriculum--it's there to serve you.  The minute you begin feeling guilty about it, you are no longer being served by it.  The same thing goes for your beautiful master schedule created in Excel!

6. Another practical thing I like to do is to make a list of what I DID accomplish at the end of the day/afternoon/evening--kind of like a reverse to-do list!  This helps me to see that I did accomplish many things, even if they might not have been on my actual "To Do" list.

7. It is very helpful for me to plan a menu for at least one week at a time and then shop for the ingredients I will need for the week's meals on the weekend so I am ready to go.  I used to freezer cook with a friend once per month, but now, when I can, I make 5-6 times of a recipe to freeze.  I use my Use crock pot a LOT!  I have even heard of friends getting together and doing a meal swap in which several people make a given number of dishes to freeze, and then pass them out to one another--everyone gets several meals and a nice variety!

8.  I have learned to never Never NEVER compare myself to anyone else--we are all so different.  Each family is called differently, and our children are different.  Focus on Jesus, and ask for His grace and contentment.  A wonderful book to read for this is Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow.

9.  Take time every day to spend time with the Lord, reading and meditating on His Word!  I like to memorize Scripture and post the verses all over the house as reminders.  Find a time to fill up your cup spiritually, even if it's just one drop at a time.  You can't give out what you don't have yourself.  Model it for your kids.  I know for myself, I can't get through the day without meeting with the LORD first and then putting a smile on my face when my children begin to come down for breakfast.

10. Instead of comparing myself to or judging others, I actively reach out to other women, and I initiate getting together.  Seek out friends and mentors.  Don't wait for them to come to you first!! Take the initiative.  I think as homeschooling moms especially, we can feel isolated, but instead of taking this sitting down, you can be the one to surround yourself with friends and support.  Come to the homeschool Moms' Night Out, call a friend to come over and have coffee while the kids play.  Find someone to pray with you and with whom you can share prayer requests.

11.  Part of being able to survive the hard times of homeschooling and all of its demands is to be able to make a little time to do something I enjoy every now and then.  There are things I do alone, like go for a run in the morning.  I love writing, so I started this blog.  I really enjoy putting my thoughts and feelings on paper.  It's a great way for me to process what's going on in my life, document different things, and maybe even offer some encouragement to others along the way.  I try to fit this in whenever I can.  There are things that refresh me that I do with my husband and/or my kids.  For example, my husband and I are very intentional about having a regular date night.  When the children were all little, we hired a babysitter once or twice per month.  Or we would plan a "date at home" when we would put the children to bed early and enjoy an evening alone together eating a special meal together and just talking or watching a movie.  Now we have teen girls, and we actually get out more often--about once per week!!  Whoot!!  We also like to spend time as a family outside on our property, just enjoying time together.  Family game nights and movie nights are also fun ways for us to refresh as a family. 

12. Find a prayer partner.  I try hard to get together with a friend to pray together and encourage one another whenever possible.  Finding a support group that has a monthly moms' night out  is a great way to do that as well.  It's so important to do this.  If you don't feel like anyone is calling you to get together, call someone and invite her!!  Chances are, many other moms out there are feeling the same way you are and would appreciate the chance to meet together and pray.  You can pray over the phone if it's too hard to meet in person.  Texting and emailing are great ways to keep up with each other also in this high-tech world in which we live!

13. Finally, remember that in the long run, God will reward our faithfulness.  He will be our strength when we're weak.  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "He [the Lord]said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

We must trust that God is able to fight the battle for us.  I will end with a story I came upon while reading through the Bible in my morning quiet times this year.  The passage is in 2 Chronicles 16.  In the previous chapters, we read that King Asa had done right in the Lord's sight, tearing down idols and high places where idols were worshiped.  Then in battle against the Ethiopians, Asa realized that his army was not strong enough, so he cried out to God on the battlefield, saying these words, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” This is what God did after Asa's prayer: "So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled."  God had won the battle for Asa because of his trust in God.  However, in chapter 16, Asa relies on his own strength and intellect, making a treaty with the King of Syria instead of trusting in the Lord the way he had before.  Here is God's response.  I have read 2 Chronicles 16:9 hundreds of times, but I never really knew or thought about the context.  It makes a huge difference in the way I think about that verse knowing the whole story.  God says to Asa through the seer Hannai, "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.  Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand.  For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”  The big mistake Asa made was not trusting God!!  How many times do I try to take the battle into my own hands, and fail to really trust God?  The result? MORE BATTLES--more wars!!!  May we remember this as we struggle, fail and feel inadequate.  God is the one who wins the battles.  We need only put our faith and trust fully in Him.  This is what it really means to have a "heart that is loyal to Him."

I pray that we will all be able to renew our hope throughout this school year whenever the going gets tough!

May you be blessed in your journey!

The Hidden Gunk Within

So, it's been a while, but that's mainly because I have remained hard at work this summer, decluttering and cleaning stuff out of our house so we can LIVE freer!  Here are some before and after pictures of the baby's nursery, which was my latest project:

Before, the baby had been sleeping in this room for several weeks, but I could only walk from the door to the crib and just barely get to the diaper stacker and the dresser.  I couldn't reach the closet, and there was a twin bed by the window piled high with boxes of clothing and other items that needed to be dealt with.  I FINALLY, with perseverance spending 1/2 hour per day (sometimes longer) over the course of a few days, managed to get through all of it!  I rearranged the small nursery so that it is a "real" nursery now, not a guest room/storage room with a crib squeezed into it!  I moved the twin bed out into the main bedroom that all the children share, and moved some book shelves/cabinets from the big room into the nursery to hold books for the younger kids as well as a couple of cute boxes with some toys for the baby.  I even completely cleaned out the closet.  This is one of the only rooms in the house which has a closet.  It feels so good!  Now I am planning to decorate it a little bit so the room will be completely finished.  That will make me very happy!


This is what it looks like now: 

This is not  even half of the stuff I got out of that room:

My friend and I had a joint garage sale which, due to the remote rural location of our homes, didn't do so well, but I still made around $110!  I'm saving that for the baby's new bedding and decorations. 

I have also been working downstairs in the guest room/office to get rid of years of clutter and books I am no longer using or needing.  Soon I will be selling lots of Homeschool resources that I have never used or things I have used but no longer need.  That will free up lots of space in that room.  My ultimate goal is to have everything look tidy, even though I don't have closets or adequate storage in most of the house.  Because of the lack of closet space, I am just getting rid of stuff I might otherwise hold onto.  It's time!  I will post pictures of that room soon as well. 

I've been feeling pretty good about myself and my accomplishments, other than my lack of blogging activity--because I enjoy writing so much and have missed it.  Sadly, in the midst of all this "triumph," I was very recently brought back down to reality.  Our downstairs air-conditioning unit broke, and we had a repair man come out to look at and fix it.  After doing acrobatics to access our attic, where the unit is (due to the fact that we did not put in stairs to access our attic space-- simply have to use a ladder and climb on up), he climbed back down and said, "Well, the unit is really dirty" and that we should have it taken out, thoroughly cleaned, and then re-installed.  He said we just need to change our air filters more often due to the fact that we have animals in the house.  He made it sound like it was just dirty with animal hair and some dirt.  Well, then, after climbing back up and trying to remove the unit, he couldn't get the coil out because it was basically cemented in with dirt that had been sealed there with repeated freezing and thawing of the unit (which had been happening for a while and we didn't realize it).  He brought me a "little sampling" of what he scraped off the unit. 

Here is a picture:

What?!?  Yuck!!!  It was upon seeing this disgusting mass of dirt and grime which came out of the air in our home that I finally realized just what I'm really up against.  Yes, we live out in the country on a little farm with lots of chickens, donkeys, and goats.  When it's not muddy out here, it's dry and dusty.  We have a dog and two cats who live in the house.  Oh! And two bunnies as well.  We have 9 active children all living at home who are in and out of the doors all day long.  I guess it hit me that no matter how much I clean, deep down things are going to be really grimy and mucky anyway!  I do have a cleaning lady who helps me "deep clean" every week, but *really* deep down is dirt I don't even see.  I was a little discouraged thinking over this, but still motivated to get things decluttered and do the best I can to keep things tidy. 

However, all of this reminded me of my spiritual condition without Christ.  I can clean the surface and look all shiny and "perfect"from the outside, but deep inside I am just as dirty as can be.  Romans 3:10-18 says,
"As it is written,
'There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,
The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.'”
That is pretty dirty! 

Praise GOD that He says in Isaiah:
"'Come now, and let us reason together,'
Says the Lord,
'Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.'"
Isaiah 1:18

I have so much hope in the fact that this is NOT the end of the road--this endless cycle of dirtying, then cleaning, then dirtying and cleaning again.  Our fallen world is so full of "vanity and striving after wind", as it says in Ecclesiastes 2:26.  I am so thankful that I can see with ETERNAL eyes, with my heart focused on the GLORY to come!  Otherwise, I guess it would be easy to feel depressed and defeated by things like extremely dirty air conditioning units.  Instead, I am truly filled with JOY!  But I do want you all to know that from now on, Todd and I are putting "clean air filters" on the calendar for every two weeks!!  :)

Post Vacation Blues

We are back from a lovely two weeks in Florida, visiting with my dad, who recently had to have surgery on his shoulder, and also time with my husband's family as well as both of my sisters and their families and my mom. It was refreshing and relaxing, but at the same time a little bit of hard work--sunscreen, sand, eating, cleaning up the condo, etc. I did feel very relaxed there, though, without all of the everyday stresses that come with life at home with the usual chores. After the long drive home on Saturday night, we literally dumped all of our bags, laundry baskets, towels, toys, etc. near the front door of the house and collapsed into bed. After making such good progress before our trip, I looked around yesterday and felt very discouraged. Have you ever felt that way--the mess is really too big for me; there is no way I can get on top of things? It can be paralyzing! So I prayed about it, and then hunkered down a little bit to take a few more bites out of my mess. I can walk into the baby room and see a good portion of the floor, where before there had been piles of clothes to sort through. We also have most of our things put away from the vacation, and I was able to sweep and mop the floor. Slow and steady wins the race. I was inspired recently by a friend who said I helped her think of getting rid of most of her kids' unused clothing. She sent me an email later that week of the *26* trash bags FULL of clothes ready to donate!!! Wow! Now I am inspired by her to keep on going. My neighbor and I have set the date for a garage sale. I am inspired anew!! While in Florida, I did spend some afternoons writing blog posts, but was unable to post them from my condo for some reason, although we did have wi-fi. So, I will be sharing those posts on my blog in the next few days. I hope you all have a day filled with renewed HOPE in our glorious God, and be filled with JOY and inspiration to live your life excellently!

The Tortoise and Hare Conundrum

You remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  I am a few weeks into my quest to organize and simplify, right now.  On the inside, I want to be like the hare--I just want to zip around and do everything, take care of it all, get it all done NOW!!!  The problem with this is, of course, that I'm in danger of burning myself out when I do this.  I have seen it happen to me before in so many areas--not just home organization.  There have been many years of homeschooling in which I have gotten us involved in too many things, or attempted to do way too much.  These years have brought burnout and guilt.  I won't say "failure" because I wouldn't call setting unrealistic goals and not meeting them "failure." But guilt is most definitely a byproduct of this formula.

 The other part of me wants to just keep it up slow and steady.  Work a little every day and slowly see things coming together.  But the "hare" inside me keeps telling me that it's not enough.  It's not fast enough.  I'm not making enough progress.  The progress that I am making is going to be destroyed as always because I won't be able to maintain it.  All the books I have read and even programs I have followed in the past have said that you can't do it overnight.  So, I have resolved to go ahead and keep plugging away at things slowly.  I am trying to make new habits, to look at things differently.  I am learning to look at the things that enter my home with a view to how this item will affect the space it will occupy.  Will it push something else out of the way?  Will it become lost in a pile of things I don't really need?  I am honestly trying to develop new habits.  This can't really be done the "hare'" way.  It's slow and steady wins the race, slow and steady wins the race, slow and steady wins the race.  Thus the new habits will be instilled in me (and hopefully the rest of the family as well).  I press on towards the goal I have set, and I see character building opportunities all around me!  :)

All this to say that I truly can see the improvements, slowly coming to light.  I smile when I open my kitchen cabinets and drawers and see less stuff.  I can find things again.  It's easier to see where things actually go!  Yesterday, I finished cleaning off my husband's small desk which is tucked into a little corner of the kitchen.  I threw away tons of clutter, much of it things I was thinking I would "get to later." Now the desk is serving it's function again, which is to provide a surface upon which to work.  It had been weeks since my husband could actually put his laptop directly on the desk!  Now it feels so good to have let go of all of that stuff.

 The biggest challenge for me right now, really, is getting the kids to help keep things picked up.  I'm also trying to balance being the mom who encourages creative play (building forts, playing make believe, etc) with keeping things picked up and organized.  Does anyone out there have any ideas?   Most of the time, I try to let the kids create and build and be free (yes, they still have to do work and chores), and then we will have massive cleaning times once or twice per week.  How do I balance the creativity with also keeping a pretty neat home (with no good places to really leave forts and other creations for long periods of time--we'd be tripping over them too much)?  I'm beginning to think that those two things don't really go together.  I would rather have happy, creative kids than a home I can "be proud of."  I really do feel that I can still declutter, which will help us at those cleaning sprees to put things where they belong and not have to cram loads of things that aren't useful in along with the things that we really care about or want.  More thoughts on that soon.  If anyone has ideas for me, let me know.

 We're off to Florida for two weeks of vacation!  I hope to have lots of time to write from there! 

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14

The Ugly Truth

I have to face the ugly truth: I am a "hard-core hoarder" according to Peter Walsh's clutter quiz in the book It's All Too Much.  Mr. Walsh is the professional organizer from the TV show "Clean Sweep." I picked his book up at the library as extra help in my mission to simplify.  It sounds kind of harsh to me to be labeled "hoarder" when I really feel more like a "victim of clutter," which was another possible result for the quiz.  I'm thinking now that this is probably more like admitting the fact that I truly have a problem as the first step necessary to actually reach the "cure." It's kind of like an alcoholic admitting aloud before witnesses that he is an alcoholic and then taking the steps towards healing. 

So here it is out in the open: I AM A HARD-CORE HOARDER!!  Yuck yucky yuck yuck!!  The good news is that I have a plan and I *am* making progress.  Even my husband has noticed the improvements in the kitchen.   Sometimes progress seems so slow, and other times it seems to be amazing what I can accomplish in just 1/2 hour per day. I spent the last few sessions getting some of the kitchen drawers cleaned out and organized.  I am brainstorming about what to do with things I really do need but don't have a good, convenient and accessible place for.  One of these categories is chargers for things (phones, cameras, etc.).  

Now, I do feel that I am a victim of clutter to a certain extent due to the fact that I can be organizing and decluttering over in one area of the house, and my 9 wonderfully creative and exuberant children are in another area of the house creating art, forts, ransacking drawers, leaving towels and dirty clothes strewn on the floor, etc.  I think this is one of the reasons I scored high enough to be labeled "hoarder." However, I will readily admit that much of the junk that is pulled off shelves or out of drawers during fort-making escapades is due to my tendency to hang onto things "just in case."

Mr. Walsh's book has a chapter describing 9 excuses we hoarders tend to use to justify hanging onto our stuff.  I find myself guilty of using all of them at one time or another.  Here are the excuses:
1. "I might need it one day."
2.  "It's too important to let go."
3. "I can't get rid of it--it's worth a lot of money."
4.  "My house is too small." I can add, "I don't have enough closet space."
5. "I don't have the time."
6. "I don't know how it got like this."
7. "Its not a problem--my husband/child/etc. just thinks it is."
8. "It isn't mine (it's my dad's sister's husband's, etc)"
9. "It's too overwhelming."
10. Insert your own excuse if you have one.  How about "I have 9 children and live on a farm"?

Since, of course, to some extent the children are a part of our clutter problem,  I would like to get my kids on board as well. I plan to have them spend 1/2 hour cleaning their room with the goal of getting rid of things that are cluttering their areas and weighing them down.  My children are very good at cleaning up a room in a jiffy, but the problem is that often they are just "hiding" the clutter by jamming things into drawers or closets, and not really getting rid of things.  We are all guilty of the same problem--saving too many things!!

Even after reading through the excuses and admitting my problem, I continue to be surprised by my deep unwillingness to let things go.  I am not a materialistic woman!  What is my problem??  Part of it is that sentimentality.  I tend to hang onto things that were gifts.  I like to keep cards that people send to me.  I can't bear to part with a bit of art work a child has made.  This can add up to a lot of clutter when I consider the number of children who make precious art around here!!  I am trying to get better at throwing away art work after shooting a picture of it that I can put in an album.  I do save the special ones.  It is a delicate dance of the psyche to make myself decide which things are actually the special ones to keep!  I remind myself that I really don't want the children to have to deal with mounds of this stuff when Todd and I are not here anymore.  Just the few, simple things. I am planning to get each child a clear rubbermaid container in which to store these special things so I can give it to them later or at least let them look through it when they are older and decide for themselves what they want to keep.

As I work with the children, I will have to encourage them to do the same.  It is very interesting how their different personalities shine through when I look at their spaces in our home.  All the children except for the baby share a large room upstairs in our house.  So each child has a section in one of two closets as well as his or her own bed.  The oldest 6 children have desks to put their things in/on, and each has a few rubbermaid containers in which to store things.  There are also two drawer storage towers in the room with 6 baskets each in them for storage.  I have a couple of very neat children and a bunch of "messies!"  I have friends who have a child who lives to organize spaces.  I am not sure we have been blessed with anyone like that in our home.  If so, that is a latent gift!  :)  

I will post some pictures of the kids' spaces as well.  They will do a great job, I'm sure.  I may have to give out awards for pounds of stuff to give/throw away.  

By the way, I am open to suggestions on how to go about this journey.  So if anyone has ideas for me, let me know!

The Quiet Nursery

I read a beautiful post by the wonderful and inspiring Sally Clarkson today that reminded me of a short devotional my neighbor had sent me a few months ago.  The gist of both of these pieces reminded me that if there are children or people in general around there will be some sort of sign of this life (messes, noises, etc.).  They both conclude that it is better to have the messes and noises, which are a sign of the life within, rather than the orderliness and/or silence which indicate the absence of this life.  I am here to tell you that both kinds of signs of life are abundant here at Abundant Life Ranch!!  We have almost daily construction of forts of one kind or another.  We have projects, both finished and unfinished, as signs of a busy home schooling family of many.  There are crumbs to be found often throughout our house, even though the "rule" is that food stays in the kitchen area.  Books are everywhere...  As I am striving to live more simply, I am more keenly aware of all of these things around.

Both pieces I read mention the proverb: "Where there are no oxen, the crib (trough) is clean." In the short piece my neighbor sent me to read, the author writes, "A home in which everything is in apple-pie order is not of necessity a matter for congratulation.  The rooms are silent; there are no signs of childish romp and revelry.  In the nursery, the toys are all in their proper places; everything is orderly and shipshape; all is spick and span.  But the father and mother are heartbroken; their child is dead."  (F. W. Borham,The Last Milestone: Essays by F. W. Borham).  He later continues: "Let every minister be thankful that his study needs tidying; let every barrister be thankful for the confusion in his office; let every carpenter be thankful for the shavings on the floor; let every mother be thankful for the tumult in the nursery; let every farmer be thankful that the crib needs cleaning out.  It all goes to show that there is something doing."  Boy, does this resonate with me!!  The author does go on to raise this to the spiritual plane, and conclude that we should be wary of the day when our conscience ceases to cry out to us that there is cleaning to be done as well.  That is where I stand with my newly renewed commitment to declutter and make our home more peaceful.  I am so very thankful for all the mess-makers in my home, and the signs of the blessings that surround us.  I am so thankful that my nursery isn't quiet, and that it won't be for decades to come!

 "...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Creating a Family Purpose Statement

Before leaving for Disney I had spent 1/2 faithfully every day decluttering, and I finished the kitchen cabinets that wouldn't close!  It is so nice to open those two cabinet doors and see it nicely organized and ready to be easily accessed.  I bought a pot lid holder to keep in there and it fits great, keeping pot lids accessible yet put neatly away.  I have a growing pile of things to give to Goodwill as well as another area for garage sale/Craigslist items.  I love the feeling of ridding the house of unnecessary items and freeing up space!  I truly believe that all the stuff can weigh me down and cause me to feel defeated.  It has been relatively easy so far to spend just 1/2 hour per day evaluating what I have in these cabinets (and other areas as well) and getting rid of things.  I am still struggling to give things up that I "may need just in case," but I've been making progress.

Last night I spent 1/2 hour working on the shoe rack/coat rack by the back door.  This is one of those areas that can get out of control quickly/  I would have thought it would take me a lot longer to clean out that area, but I was finished in exactly 1/2 hour!

Here is what it looked like before:  Pretty horrible, isn't it??  This is humbling for me to post, but it's so good for me as well.  :)

And here is after:

Much better!!  Pretty good for 1/2 hour of work.  Not perfect, I know, but how could it be with 11 people's stuff store there??  What I love about doing this is that I set my timer for 1/2 hour, and when it goes off, I'm done, even if I'm "in the middle" of something.  I put it away and save it for later.  I have oftentimes said I don't have time to decluttter, etc., but the truth is that I do, but I waste a lot of time thinking of how little time I have instead of just digging in and doing it for a change.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I have also been spending time daily thinking about and praying through some questions to help us come up with our family purpose statement.  I'm hoping to get Todd to think about these things as well so that we can develop our family vision/purpose statement together. After all, what good is a purpose statement if my hubby isn't in on it?!

We have in the past stated our purpose to be this: The Erdner Family exists to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, and to make disciples for His kingdom." I think the new statement will basically be this with a few additions to be a little more specific and help us line up our choices of activities.

 Here are some things I am thinking about to compare notes with my husband. These questions come from Tsh Oxenreider's book _Organized Simplicity_.

1. What are some strengths of each member of the family? I'm thinking talking is one of the gifts shared by everyone in this family,  :)

2.Collectively, we are at our best when... Playing games as a family. Camping together as a family, having people over for dinner and/or to ride the horses.  Doing things together, like working on a project.

3. Collectively, we are at our worst when we...are in a hurry, everyone is thinking only of themselves, or if we are bored.

4.  If we had a completely free day, how would we spend it?  Go to the pool, play soccer in the yard, go for tractor rides with the younger kids, maybe a walk for the whole family.

5.  What are practical ways we can serve each other?  Chores for everyone in the household!  Pray for one another.

6.  What are practical ways we can serve others outside our family?  Practicing hospitality.  Service project like meals on wheels, Little Helping Hands, etc.  Signing up to bring meals to those who need them for various reasons.

7.  Name three things we could do better as a family:  thinking of others first, going above the call of duty, taking the initiative.

 8.  What would people say today about our family as a whole?  I think most people would say we are a fun, LOUD family with convictions.  Most people who know us would say we are a family who enjoys having people over for fun, casual times, and that we make just about anyone feel welcome and at home.

9.  What would we like people to say about our family as a whole in thirty years?  We would like for them to say that we are a family in which all the members love God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength and that we are all walking with and serving Him!

10.  If our home could be filled with one emotion, what emotion would that emotion be? Love/Joy

11.  List three adjectives we would like people to use to describe our home environment.  Warm, Welcoming, Christ-centered/Spirit-filled

12.  If we could name one principle from which we would like our family to operate, what would it be?  Honor with Grace

13.  What are the top four priorities we want out family to value?  Loving God, practicing hospitality, serving others (community, etc.), sharing the gospel

14.  What is the main purpose of our home?  To be a vessel for the work of Christ in and through us.

15.  What is the secondary purpose of our home?  Fun place to live and grow a family, and have people over (our enjoyment and the enjoyment of others)

16.  What is the individual purpose in life of each member of our family?  To know God and make Him known.

17.  What is one way we are unique as a family?  One way?  Ha!!  We are a big, happy family with a very unique, casual way of life.  We certainly go against the mainstream culture!

18.  Describe the status of our family in ten years:  Financially: debt-free, but with lots of college age children?? Intellectually: homeschooling, college kids, still discussing stuff Emotionally: stable, relying on God, so joyful Relationally with each other: love, strong bonds as a family Communally in our environment:  nature important, on the farm Physically: healthy, vegan, exercise  Spiritually: strong relationships with the LORD! He is our LIFE!!

19.  Where is your family in 10 years?  Still homeschooling, close, kids adults still happy to come home.  Home is the haven.

20.  What is the purpose of life? To know God and make Him known!!

I'm excited to watch how this may unfold into a family statement.  Do you have a personal or family purpose statement you would be wiling to share on my page?  Share it here or on FB.