The Days Ahead

Posted by Tammy | 0 comments

A brand new calendar year is as white as the snow before us. Nary a mark has been made. It is like being at the top of a snowy hill anticipating the adventure before us. Taking a deep breath. And pushing off! Oh yes, there will be bumps and spills as we go and perhaps a broken bone, but there will also be delightful moments of joy which will make the journey all worthwhile.

Ahhh, it is much like this brand new online homeschooling magazine. As this new project is set into motion, there are blank draft pages ahead just waiting to be filled. Nary a word has been published as we take a deep breath and push off! Oh yes, there will be lost posts and computer glitches and perhaps a disagreement or two along the way, but there will also be delightful moments of joy as we encourage one another in our homeschooling journey.

As I look forward to a new calendar year being a bit older – okay, I’m going to hit a major milestone birthday this year so *a bit older* takes on a whole new meaning – and a bit wiser as I’ve been on this parenting journey for quite awhile, there is excitement in my heart as I anticipate the year to come. Truly, having a houseful of kids is an adventure as they are all in different stages of growth and each one is energized with life.

And as I look forward to this new online homeschooling magazine being a bit older – okay, I think perhaps I’m in the group of being one of the oldest ones on the writing team – and a bit wiser in the sense that our family has been homeschooling for twenty years, there is excitement in my heart as I anticipate the monthly magazine issues to come. It is easy at this point of my life to get into a pattern of doing what works and not looking further. However, I feel like a breath of fresh air has come into my life with this group of women who have so much enthusiasm and excitement about the homeschooling they are doing within their families. It is energizing! And as long as the focus isn’t about learning computer language or programming (my computer and I tend to have a love/hate kind of relationship), I think this old dog can learn a lot of new tricks from every article published in The Heart of the Matter.

But thinking about calendars, it is also true for many homeschooling families that it is not the beginning of a fresh new unmarked school year, but rather our calendars are nearing the mid-point of a school year. We don’t think of January as being a goal setting time of year for our homeschooling, yet it typically follows an extended break that many families have taken for the holidays. That break gives us an opportunity to reflect upon our schooling to this point and to shape a vision for the remainder of the school year. We can consider what is working well and what is definitely NOT working well. Weaknesses and strengths in each student can be evaluated. It may require adding some new learning tools into the plan OR it may mean it’s time to back off completely in certain areas to allow the student to mature a bit and that’s okay, too.

So as we look at things before us whether new and uncharted OR old and familiar, let us look with the knowledge that ALL of our days are the Lord’s. May we hold fast to the Scripture found in Psalm 90:5 – “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Isn’t that really the heart of the matter?