NOW THAT WE ARE SIX MONTHS INTO 2018...

So much has changed this year.    Scratch that.....

Change the name of the post from "This Year...2017" to.....

"Now That We Are Six Months Into 2018...".  Ahem.  Okay. Let's do this.

The last time I visited you from here, I'd taken leaves out of the table.  Since then, we've had graduations, relocations, job changes, medical emergencies, life emergencies.......tears, laughter, fear, hope, exhaustion, retreats, doubts, struggles, and bewilderment.

Any of that sound familiar?

My routine completely altered

with the end of a 25 year career as a home educator.

My expectations have constantly been realigning

 to the new realities within our circumstances.

My eyes are often faltering and struggling 

to be focused above on the Lord.

But.  He.  Is.  Faithful.

He. Is. Kind.

When the doubt and darkness overwhelm, remember this dear Christian...

He.  Is.  Good.

Everyone in my house goes to work these days.  

No, that's not exactly right since the "downsizing".....hmm.....oh well......

 I'm still trying to find my way and use the gifts and talents that God has given me. I've been on a very steep learning curve and have often wanted to give up, but there are some big ideas inside of me and I know for sure that if the Lord leads, it will be accomplished. 

 Repeatedly, I am being humbled by the difficulty I'm having learning things that used to be easy for me. 

But whether it is because of age or stress, I'm determined to keep working at it.

 I'm also stepping out into the community as a volunteer and new business owner.

 I'm being forced out of my comfort zone by having to promote myself as an artist and building my website for my new business, WARM HEARTH STUDIO.

 (Right now there are problems with the website...so keep checking back. Please.)

Eventually, 

I see the merging of 

Mom On Assignment 

into the Studio.....

like I said, I have some big ideas...

but, we must all begin 

right where we are.    

Whatever this year has held for you, remember this:

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

 Hebrews 12:3 (ESV)

Behold the Brave and the Mighty

The Brave One is not the biggest, 

nor the strongest, 

nor the greatest.

Milestones in the Journey

Since my disappearance from the blogosphere, 

I have passed a few milestones.......

Not in order of importance, 

 nor even chronology....

Delays in the Journey

I have a Motto:    

If you don't do something
 at least twice, 
it just isn't any fun.

Eye Trouble

I have read that,
 babies are born near-sighted
 and they can only see the distance
 from Mama's arms to her face.  

As they grow, their vision will usually sharpen 
and they will see things in the distance that they never knew existed. 

For some reason, that tendency to look at what is nearest becomes a habit with us in life.  

the real you

One of the most difficult 

things to remember is 

that each person is 

a unique and distinct being. 

We seem to spend an enormous amount of time and effort seeking to be like everyone else 

and then feel dissatisfied. 

In the midst of trying to fit in with the crowd,

 we yearn to be unique.....

when you want to disappear.........

I have wanted to disappear.

Into the mist.....

Out of my troubles.......

Turn inward. 

Focus on only the necessary.

Leave these virtual pages 

as sort of a phase I went through...

a whim...

something I could not complete.

Teach Me to Number My Days...

Teach me to number my days...

because they are flying faster than the 

speed of sound...

still here......hanging on.........

Yesterday, I spent most of the day

 on the computer.  

That is very rare.

 Usually during the school year, 

the kids are on the computer all day

 doing various assignments.