An inspiring summer read

There are times, when due to dyslexia, my kids have to work a little harder to do what comes easy to others. One asked me yesterday if dyslexia would 'limit' them.
I reminded this Dear One that 'they can do all things through Christ who strengthens' them!
I also couldn't resist reminding them of the BLIND boy who taught himself echolocation so that he could ride a bike in his neighborhood. This book tells the amazing true story of a man who did not let BLINDNESS limit him.
He didn't see it as a disability! Determination, hard work and practice go a long way, no matter what you are dealing with.
Imagine having to learn geometry by having the problems described to you since you were unable to see them. He did them in his head! He was so good at it that he got on the math quiz bowl team! The list of things he was determined to do is amazing.
The remarkable thing about this story isn't that the author walked out of the World Trade Center during the attack on 9/11 with his guide dog. (although that was incredible) I think what is remarkable, is all that he accomplished in life before that day that caused him to be working there in the first place.
An inspiring story if you are looking for a good summer read.

It reminded this mom of what a small thing dyslexia is and that determination is the key to anything any of us feel called to do in life.

~Becky

Wednesdays in the Word

Gardenias and Purity

Some of my favorite weeks every year are the ones in which our huge gardenia bush blooms! 

I'm a firm believer that the blooms don't belong outside 

so I pick every.single.one. 

And I put them in vases all over our house. 

What smells better than gardenias? 

Pretty much, nothing. ; )

 In the process of picking so many gardenias, I've learned something! If you touch the petals, they will turn brown by morning.
 (maybe everyone knows that but I just figured it out a couple of years ago)

Recently, I've been reading A Man Called Peter, which is about the life and sermons of Peter Marshall. (written by his wife, Catherine Marshall, who also authored Christy, among other titles)
 I was soooo excited to read that he used this fact in a sermon illustration:

"You know how a gardenia's petals reveal any telltale fingermarks by turning brown. . .Your lives are like that. Purity is like that. . . Young people, don't give anything to the world to destroy..."  ~Peter Marshall

Amen!
This illustration reminds me of the book of James which talks about "pure and undefiled religion" and says we are to "keep oneself unspotted from the world." 

I'm crazy about gardenias! They will forever remind me of my grandmother who wore gardenia perfume and is holding one in this picture AND of PURITY.

~Becky

 (sorry this scanned picture throws everything off, but I think it is worth it) : )

'The most precious thing in you'

"St. Augustine once preached a sermon in which he promised a kind of self-test to see if we truly love God: 

Suppose God proposed to you a deal and said, 
'I will give you anything you want. You can possess the whole world. Nothing will be impossible for you...Nothing will be a sin, nothing forbidden. You will never die, never have pain, never have anything you do not want and always have anything you do want
-except for just one thing: you will never see My face." 

Augustine closed with a question:

Did a chill rise in your hearts, when you heard the words, 'you will never see My face?' That chill is the most precious thing in you: that is the pure love of God."  

Amen!
Taken from A Mary Heart in a Martha World

~Becky

The rain in Spain...I mean Florida

Our dog, Bree, loves to go for a car ride,  so she came along with me to the bank when it wasn't raining.
When we got home, it looked like we were caught in a monsoon and she thought we were crazy for getting out of the car.

I love this picture!

She couldn't be coaxed out for anything. Not even when cute kids held an umbrella for her! ; )

-They certainly don't care if they get wet, evidenced by the fact that they are barefooted rain or shine!

~Becky

Summer so far:

Segway riding and a tour of St. Pete!

(rescheduled from Spring Break)

Sooo much fun!!

Our Girl, fixed up her Toms to hide the hole in the toe! She's so talented. Love what she did with them.

Adorable!

She's also been gardening. 

but isn't a fan of radishes

We received our end of the year testing results back and were so very pleased! Hooray!

We've been dog sitting for a puppy for a week! Exhausting! 

Thankfully, once in awhile she was exhausted too.

We've been playing this for the past 3 days whenever we get a chance! 

We just got one kid back and two more are leaving! (Oh, the laundry!)

Nathan, who went to CA for a week, is back!
 Instead of 8 hours worth of travel time, it took them 29 hrs. (flying stand by) I'm pretty sure he might sleep today away.

Tonight, our youngest two are heading off to youth camp!!!
What will I do with myself for 4 days?!

Hope you are enjoying a happy Summer!

~Becky

Wednesdays in the Word

Oswald Chambers on criticizing others:

"...the Holy Ghost is the only One in the true position to criticize. He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding."
When you are criticizing "it makes you hard and vindictive and cruel and leaves you with the flattering unction that you are a superior person." (ouch!)
Jesus would have us "cultivate an uncritical temper."

~Becky

Debbie Strayer: A mentor, evaluator and friend to so many

A gift of God left this earth on Saturday night.

I was completely in shock to learn of Debbie Strayer's passing.

It felt like we on earth were cheated. Definitely cheated.

We, in the homeschooling community still had so much to learn from her. She was a voice of encouragement. Or maybe I should say it this way, she was a voice of enCOURAGEment.
 She certainly gave me the courage I needed to continue on this journey, to accept my kiddos the way God made them and to enjoy every minute of homeschooling.
She watered my soul during our evaluations. I left her office feeling like I was the best homeschooling mom ever, which was the polar opposite of how I'd walk in. She had a gift for making nervous moms and nervous kids, feel completely at ease. She could evaluate children, almost without them even realizing it, because she was just that fun to talk to. My kids loved going to see her. She could correct a reader without needing them to share the book with her. -I remember admiring this skill for basically being able to read upside down, and wished I had it. ; )

She blessed every home school mom she ever spoke to. But at the same time, she didn't sugar coat things. She told you what was what. I remember when she told me that God had not given me 'Abeka children' and that's all there was to it. They were "the hands-on kind" and she encouraged me to do unit studies with them. She loved hearing about every single unit study we did too. The deeper and crazier into a topic we dealved, the better. The more excited the kids were about a subject they discussed with her, the more her eyes sparkled. (and she had THE greatest laugh!) I remember her telling me that when my kids are grown, I will sit and reread all of their portfolios just for fun, and I have no doubt that she is right. She's the reason our school was fun! I think one of the most important things she taught me, was to use these homeschooling years as a tool to build strong relationships with my children that will last long past the 12 grade! She was a perfect example of that very thing.
 I'll always be so thankful for God's voice, speaking encouragement to me through this precious woman.

~Becky