{this moment}

About two seconds after this photo he asked me to babysit the baby, then he was off with his battleship. But he checked on her often and instructed me to feed the baby milk and pancakes if she got hungry.

These are moments I cherish.

Sharing with Soule Mama and Still Saturday

The First Day of School and 3 Good Reasons Why Those Conflicting Feelings Are Okay

Last Wednesday, I shared here about my conflicting feelings with sending our children to school.

Last Thursday, we gathered our two oldest children's school supplies and brought them to their school's open house.

Last Friday my girls and I traveled to our closest mall and enjoyed our day together shopping for school clothes.

This past weekend we cleaned out rooms and organized closets so they can feel more organized heading off to school (that's how we I work around here).

Today was their first day of school.

Was I excited for them? Yes! 

Do I think they are going to do great in school this year? Ya-ah.

Am I excited to start morning routine with the youngest two now? Absolutely!

Does that change those conflicting feelings? Nope.

Is that okay? Definitely.

Because conflicting feelings can be a gift. 

Here are three good reasons why:

1) Our conflicting feelings remind us of our purpose. As women and mothers, we were created to give life to and nurture our children, not just biologically but spiritually. We are life-givers and nurturers, not just to our own, but to all. This may play out differently for each of us. Even so,  it is normal to have conflicting feelings with sending our own away.

2) Our conflicting feelings may be telling us something we've been ignoring. And we need to listen. They're heightening our senses to an area that is requiring our attention, even if it's not (yet) requiring change. Sometimes our senses need to be heightened. Even if prayer is the only way to attend to them. At some point, we may be called to action. Will we be ready?

3) Ultimately, our conflicting feelings should draw us to Christ. Our conflicting feelings are always seeking the way toward peace. Christ is that way. Only in Christ can we find peace and joy within conflict, as we wait upon Him.

From my experience, conflict only perpetuates itself when we ignore it, try to resolve it in our own will (usually driven by fear manifested in pride), when we look for a quick fix rather than praying through it, and when we're unwilling to embrace the moments of here and now with honesty, integrity, truth and grace.

So for today, this moment, we are at peace...and we couldn't be more excited!

How about you? Did you have conflicting feelings on your child's first day of school and how did you come to terms with it?

***

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Sharing with Finding Heaven, The Better Mom, The Wellspring,  Graceful, A Pause on the Path,  Works for me Wednesday, Women Living Well, Getting Down with Jesus, Life in Bloom, Beholding Glory, and Raising Arrows

How I Have Conflicting Feelings with Sending Our Children to School {and Who is Responsible?}

"Who do you think is responsible for your education," I ask cuddled in the arms of my oldest and the other in the bed across from us, "mom and dad or your teacher?"

"OUR TEACHER!" Alexa yells.

"I don't know," Robby echos.

They start school in one week and we are sending our second child off, as well, this year.

There is something very exciting about it. And somewhat conflicting.

"Well...mom and dad are responsible for your education," I respond. "We are entrusting your teachers with your hearts and minds to offer you the gift of your education and we want to support, encourage and assist your teacher as much as possible."

These words aren't adding up when spoken out loud and I wonder if they notice.

However we, mom and dad, are ultimately responsible for you, what you learn and how you learn, when you go off to school. That is why anytime you have a problem, we want you to come to us.

Yet I know how difficult it can be to connect with their hearts after a days separation, activities, homework, and maybe dinner together before bedtime

And we ask that anytime your teacher has a problem concerning you, that she come to us. 

 Yet,  they understandably deal with as much as possible internally.

And because we place God at the center of this home and government runs your school, you will be taught things that just don't line up with our values and beliefs. We can talk about those things.

But, then again, attempting to talk about school is like breaking the Vegas moral code. What happens at school, stays at school. They don't seem to want to talk about it.


I conclude with,

 "We are praying that God may direct your education and we'll be praying for your teacher, as well.

And we will, no doubt. But really?

Lord, protect these dear six and eight year old children, as we throw them out into their pagan school without our leading and help them to be strong enough to "think critically" regardless of all they are up against spiritually and morally - at six and eight. please? 

That feels slightly like an irresponsible prayer.


And I feel like, with all the well-intended talk, in the end, we're still throwing them to the wolves.

Not the people, but the governmental system.

And we are the ones responsible for them. I'm not going to lie.This all sounds a little absurd. We. are. responsible. And we have no idea of the ins and outs of how their hearts and minds are being affected day in and day out.

We are responsible and yet we release our children to strangers seven out of their twelve waking hours every day.

We are responsible, yet it appears that we are handing over our God-given responsibility.

And I wonder if they notice.

***

Please don't misunderstand. We have some of the best schools and teachers where we live. We couldn't be more blessed! I do believe there is a need for our schools. I do understand moms work outside the home, too.  And I do believe teachers (many being those moms) have one of the hardest, most admirable jobs there is. 

Yet, It's conflicting because something feels unnatural about this system for us. Something feels unnatural about breaking a part a healthy, functional, character-building, love-for-learning-infused family by the time each child turns five. A family in training, whose children are learning about love, compassion, and service best from each other. And who are still learning how to love and serve others outside of themselves together.

This is all recently heavy on our hearts here. And we're not making any hasty changes without prayer and proper preparation. 

So, for today, this is what we are choosing. Yes, we choose it with eyes open. By no means do we think that  somehow we are not responsible.

We will support our children's school and teachers. We will pray for them. We will do our best to keep communication lines open with our children.

And I will be a part of the PTO. And I will be at most of the school events and I will each lunch with my kiddos occasionally with my youngest two.

I will be involved. And I will not condemn. This is our choice.

But I ask that you join us in prayer for our children, for our schools, and for our nation in general. And yes, trusting that God has these kids, even where we shut Him completely out. And yes, He made us responsible, yet ultimately, they are in His hands. No doubt. He'll work this out.

Thank you for being gracious here in allowing me to express my heart. This heart truly is all for preserving the infrastructure of family, not against our schools. But, yes, it is conflicting. Can you truly be passionate about both?

I realize this can be a controversial topic, different scenarios and callings for each and every family. These are my thoughts, not givens. And I invite your feedback and respectful conversation in the comments.


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Sharing with Finding Heaven, Women Living Well, A Holy Experience, Getting Down With Jesus, Life in Bloom, Unwrapping His Promises, and Beholding Glory

The Best Kind of Gift

This was a gift.

This was a gift from my husband's parents, our children's Grandma and Grandpa from Washington. 

But it wasn't just the gift of a play set. 

It was Grandpa traveling 1000 miles to build it.

And it wasn't just Grandpa building it. 

It was Grandpa taking his time to build it...with our children. 

 Sometimes the best kind of gift 

is the gift of one's time. 

Thank you, Grandpa Bob!

Declaring a Bit of God's Glory {Part 3}

I'm sharing here our family's recent seventeen day trip to ten national parks/monuments: Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National park, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Ceder Breaks National Park, and Timpanogos Cave National Monument. 

Today, I'm covering our last four destinations: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Ceder Breaks National Park, and Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

Zion National Park

At Grand Canyon, we looked down. At Zion, we looked up. Way up!

Rob and his dad hiked to "Hidden Canyon" while the rest of us went to the lodge and ate ice cream. Here are their photos...

The trail??

Yup!

The next day, Rob and I were blessed to be able to take another bike ride together to a trail head, where we ran/hiked eight miles, round trip, up one of those mountainous formations!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is famous for it's bizarre formations like the spires you'll see here.

This was one of the more spectacular views for me...just seeing as far as the eye can see, like an endless ocean.

Ceder Breaks National Park

This was much like Bryce Canyon with spires and distant views.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

A mile and a quarter hike with a 1000 foot grade incline took us to the entrance of this historic cave.

Robby shining the flashlight on these stalagmites ("salt and pepper shakers")

the view from the outside the cave

I'll admit, it was sensory overload by the time we got to this point, as it may be for you after viewing all 3 parts of the photos, but by the end, I could have gone another week. It truly was spectacular, unlike anything I've seen or experienced before.

And I am especially grateful for my in-laws, who traveled with us in their motor home and truly made our experience richer through our time together, as well as allowing Rob and I to go off on our own adventures and experience higher, wider and deeper all of the extraordinary surrounding us.

We finally made it home and as the saying goes, there's no place like home. 

To see Part 1, click here.
To see Part 2, click here.
To see the post that made me "Weak in the Knees," inspired by the 1,200 foot cliff we discovered at the end of a 1/2 mile trail, click here.

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