Comfort For God's People

Isaiah 40:1-2
"Comfort, comfort my people", says your God. "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed and her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins." 


Double use of a word in Scripture means its an imperative point God wants to get across to us.  In this case He is telling us to "comfort greatly" his people.

Selection from Streams in the Dessert: 
Store up comfort. This was Isaiah's mission.  The world is full of hurting and comfortless hearts.  But before you will be competent for this lofty ministry, you must be trained.  And your training is extremely costly, for to make complete, you too must endure the same afflictions that are wringing countless hearts of tears and blood.  Consequently, your own life becomes the hospital ward where you are taught the divine art of comfort.  You will be wounded so that in the binding up of your wounds by the Great Physician, you may learn how to render first aid to the wounded everywhere.  Do you wonder why you are having to experience some great sorrow?  Over the next ten years you will find many afflicted in the same way.  You will tell them how you suffered and were comforted. As the story unfolds, God will apply the anesthetic He once used on you, to them.  Then in the eager look followed by the gleam of hope that chases the shadow of despair from the soul; you will know why you were afflicted.  And you bless God for the discipline that filled life with such a treasure of experience and helpfulness.

God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. ~ John Henry Jowett
   






  


   

Blessed

Yesterday, Sunday, I got a glimpse of how blessed I am.
Dave and Hannah had softball yesterday so they went to early church. I took the boys to the 10:45 service.  Danielle and Andrew and Dillon and Annie were going to meet me there.  I dropped the boys off at class then walked  myself to the sanctuary.  As I walked I felt alone; Dave wasn't going to be waiting for me to go find seats.  I made my way through the sea of people in the foyer to enter the sanctuary; all along having mini anxiety attacks.  There were more people!  I looked up to see Danielle and Andrew already seated so I made my way up to them and took my seat.  Shortly after worship began, Dillon, Annie, Linda and Anthony found us and joined us.  At some point during worship, God allowed me to sit back and survey the situation.  Suddenly, all the people didn't matter!  I was nestled in between my two oldest children and their "significant others", Danielle's future husband and Dillon's future wife.  Realizing they are godly people; all of us are here together worshiping the same God. God has answered another prayer for me.  It's up to God to work out the rest in their lives but they have a good foundation to spring from; thanks to all the hard work from us, the parents by the grace given to us by God.  When I realized this I wanted to cry tears of joy, but I didn't. Just smiled a special smile of thanksgiving to God!           

Dillon Graduates Home-School

It's hard to believe Dillon has graduated high school.  Aside from a few years in various schooling types, he has been home-schooled since 1st grade.  There were days and even years I though this boy would NEVER see graduation; either because he wouldn't do the work for various excuses or because I was gonna kill him! :)  At any rate, he (we) made it!  I am so proud of him!   I LOVE YOU DILLON!!!!!  It's time you spread your wings and fly, my little boy...I mean...young man. This makes me sad.        

Ben's Future Girlfriend

Dillon has been dating Annie for 2 years now.  Benjamin adores Annie.  In fact, he playfully claims her as his own.  Yesterday, when kids were outside playing while Annie was over, someone was talking to Ben about his girl friend.  He told them, "Annie's my girlfriend, Dillon and I share her. But when I turn 16, Mom is gonna find me my own girlfriend." He went on to say a whole bunch of other cute stuff...but that's where my ears stopped, because my heart was blessed by my sons innocent convictions.  I instantly thought, "WOW!! I must be doing something right."  It is so like God to use those little moments in our lives to encourage us to press on toward the goal.  I don't know that I will actually pick his girlfriend, who knows what God has for that, he's only 5 years old right now.  But he subconsciously knows his Momma gonna have something to say about his future Ms.Right.  I have been praying for all of my children's future spouses.  That God would be training them up getting them ready for a future with our children when His time is right.  And I will continue to pray to the end...     

A New Season and a New Schedule

Thankfully the weather is changing, in spite of what the ground hog predicted.  The days are beginning to get longer and the weather is getting warmer.  With that change, come schedules - sports schedules.

This will be the first year Danielle will not be on the schedule.  Her softball season ended last spring, as she was a senior.  We're having mixed emotions about that.

Where she drops off, though, Benjamin picks up.  He will be playing soccer this spring.  This is a first for our family, we never played soccer - none of us!  The amusing part is, I am going to be his coach; I have never been a coach of anything!  New Season - New Schedule!      

Forced Vacation

Well, after praying and thinking, and praying and thinking, and praying and thinking, I have decided to enjoy my God-forced vacation.  I have also decided to stop beating myself up over the past.  No amount of thinking and beating can change it; so I'M MOVIN ON!

I started my vacation off yesterday by spending 2 hours with God at the park.  That was nice.  Today, I cleaned this morning then I started a quilt.  It's a block a month quilt kit, so it should take a year to finish.  I did three blocks today.  We'll see how many I do next month; or if I can even wait until next month to do more. :)  

Not So Free

The kids have been in school since November 8.  Benjamin started 3 day a week pre-school in January.  At first, I was so amazed at how much better I felt health wise.  I still feel great!  Now I am beginning to pray about next year and school.  I wonder if the answer all along was to put Ben in pre-school. I am bored out of my mind! I thought the freedom I would gain by the kids being in school would be good for me... I cant stand just sitting around all day.  Checking email every few minutes to see anyone has contacted me is INSANITY!!!!!   I was made to care for and teach my children...not this!!!! I HATE THIS!  

Not to mention the amount of homework they bring home every night after being gone all day is ridiculous!!!  Benjamin is so frustrated with not being able to play with Aaron when he gets home, it is so sad.  All day Ben asks me, "Mom, when is Aaron going to be home?"  No joke!  ALL DAY!!!! 

  

I am pretty confident Ben will go to kindergarten in the fall.  But what to do with Hannah and Aaron?  I really don't feel called to do anything other than care for and teach them and clean the house.  That's my calling.  I would like to earn money, but that would require me to work outside the home.  I don't want to do that.  I should say, I don't feel called to that.  Some days I think it's a good idea, but mostly, NOT!  Mainly, because I think I might really regret not being here for them, and maybe even at some level resent having them to the point of neglect.  Not legal neglect, I mean letting them fin for themselves more than they should have to at their age.  

Dave really couldn't care less about what I do, if I work or not. He just wants me to be happy.  I think I needed to put the kids in school this year because I needed a break, plus I was so sick for so long, I just couldn't keep up with everything.  

So, then, What's to say I won't end up like this again, if we bring them home for next year?  Well, nothing really!  Then how can I do things differently to prevent this from happening again?  AAHHH now thats the 64 million dollar question!!!   Support system!  I need a good support system in place.  If this were a perfect world what would that look like?  Well, maybe some friends!  I am pretty much a loner.  I mean I have Sue, G, and Diane S, some days.  FISH is down the drain I cant stand the ladies that run it; and I feel like they cant stand me, whether or not there's any truth to that is a different story.  Maybe I need to find a new group.

You know, God has been changing the way I think about a lot of different things lately.  I wonder if I have been too recluse in my thinking and picking of friends?  Too guarded.  How can I change that?  What can I do to make friends.  What kind of friends do I want to have?  Like minded ones, ones that are Christians, it would be nice if they had kinds our kids ages and liked sports.  I am signed up to be a coach for Ben's grasshopper soccer team. (that's a whole other blog!)  Maybe that will help.  Maybe I should contact Terry Picnic.  I think her daughter is Hannah's age.  They played basketball together last year and they cyber school, plus they go to the Chapel too.  What about Aaron?  He has Ronnie and Jared.  I like Caleb and Isaac, they are nice boys...as far as boys go. :)  

Maybe I could check out the Washington Co-op for fall classes.  That would be helpful, maybe. 

What have I learned from this little escapade?  Well, I need a support group.  I need to be in God's word everyday, and taking my kids with me through it.  I have learned that I can not care about what others think of me or my kids.  I can not compare my children to other kids.  My home school will look like what GOD wants it too look like.  AND Not to care about high school or college before its time to care about those things!  That has to be the biggest mistake I made with Danielle and Dillon.  Freaking out about what college they might or might not get into based on their home school achievements.  I said God was leading us...but he wasn't I WAS!  I cared too much about the major things and not enough attention to the minor things...that as it turns out were really the major things after all.  Like reading and basic math concepts, not making them write when they didn't want to.  Not planning out ahead of time.  Basically, not making "real" school a priority in their lives.

I think the main reason, the NUMBER 1 reason I quit on Hannah and Aaron this year, was because I felt like such a failure with the older two.  I really took it hard that neither one of them were going to college on scholarships, like my friends kids were (see the comparing).  That's the truth! Oh my gosh!  Thats the truth, I felt like a failure and didnt see the point in fighting anymore.  I quit on them.