August for Me

If I were still a teacher, I would be back at work now. We usually had to be back at work by about the 5th of August. Kids usually started back by the 15th. This year in our state, the loophole where districts could apply for a waiver is gone and they cannot start before the 3rd week in August or something like that. So for the first time in forever, school does not start around here until August 28. Our summer has been extended. We have August back.

My brain did not get that message.

I have been feeling like I need to be doing something. Like maybe I'm forgetting something important. OH! I know! I'm supposed to be getting my classroom ready right now. I'm supposed to be making big plans for bulletin boards and room organization and lesson plans and wonderful school type things. I haven't taught in 3 years, but this is what my body is used to. August is for getting ready for school.

Now, every year I have one big nightmare before school starts. One year it was that I forgot to get my classroom ready. I showed up and there they were--a whole room full of students (of all ages, some former students, some strangers, no one went together...) all waiting on me. And there I stand. No plans. No copies. Nothing ready. Because I forgot. Boy, was I ever glad to wake up from that one! One year it was that I accidentaly sent the kids home at midday. Waved goodbye to them on the front porch of the school, got in my car and left. Then, I looked at the clock in my car and realized it was only 11:30am and I was supposed to send them to P.E.--NOT HOME!!! I race back to school and frantically run around trying to find the children I am responsible for. Not a happy dream.

The best thing about August? It's the month I became a Mommy. Sweetheart was due to arrive on August 17--the 2nd day of school that year. Imagine the parents' surprise when they walked their children to class on the first day of school and were met by a 10 month pregnant teacher who was just about ready to explode! I actually made it through the whole first week of work before she arrived. When we were home from the hospital I stashed my work ID badge in the dresser. I didn't even want to LOOK at it! I was a Mommy. For 3 glorious months I only needed to concern myself with that. No more worrying with other people's kids.

And now I find myself at home again with this wonderful little girl who is about to turn 8. She really does have one of the sweetest hearts that I know. I cannot wait to be her teacher each and every day. (I know, I know, I've been teaching her since she was born--but now I won't be sharing the job!)

So this August I will happily be preparing for my students (I just know I'm going to like them!). I will be getting all our supplies ready, making lesson plans, and getting excited about all the cool things we are going to do.

Just like every August--but this year without the nightmares.

So, What About These Differences?

A few days ago I posted about how we are pressured, no matter how subtly, to accept differences among people. You can read the first post here. Children are taught in school to accept those who are different. We even praise these differences. Schools host multicultural fairs where each person's heritage and culture are taught, experienced, and held in high esteem. Hand in hand with accepting differences in culture is accepting differences in religious beliefs. It's not that much farther down the road to accept differences in "lifestyle choices." Lots of acceptance falls under this umbrella. Pretty soon there is no right or wrong--just different.

Since I have been hanging out in the blogging world (mostly among Christian women blogs) I have seen glimpses of this practice within our Christian circles. Christian women can be very different. On one hand you have very conservative ladies who wear head coverings over their long hair and plain clothing. On the other hand, you have a short-haired, fancy-dressed, wealthy women preaching on TV. Both claim to be Christians.

There are lots of differences in us. Some work, others stay home. Some homeschool, others send their children to public school. Some wear dresses only, others live in jeans. Some cook occasionally, while others grow their own food and bake their own bread. Some receive children as a blessing from the Lord, and others use birth control. Some are quiet and others are very outspoken. The list could go on and on.

And I hear women saying, "We just need to have more grace for each other." "This is they way the Lord has led me." "I felt called to __________, He may have other plans for your life."

Surely there will always be differences among Christian women. We are not cookie cutters stamped out to live our lives completely identical to one another. God has made a variety of women--and that is good! But...

I just can't help but feel that we are letting some things slide. I can't help but feel that some of the things we "accept" from one another are not good. But we've been taught to accept and praise differences, and so we do. But there is a right and wrong. God has set a standard. It's not up to us to decide which parts of the Bible we will apply to our lives.

So what should a Christian woman look like? How should her life be? The answer is found in scripture. I'm not about to act like I can tell you the answer to that in a blog post! God has given us His word. He gives wisdom to those who ask for it.

All I'm saying is, have you asked God how He intends for a Christian woman's life to be? We often pray about things in OUR lives (is this what you want for my life, Lord?), but what things should be the same for all women who belong the the Lord? Let's stop looking at each other (except for encouragement) and look to God and His word. It's not all up to us and our individual tastes and decisions. Living our life for God requires that we consult Him.

So, (I don't think I'm saying all this very well), I appreciate our differences. Really, I do! But, I want to make sure that I'm sticking to the things God wants me to. Instead of just saying, "Oh, I'm just not like that!" I want to be a godly woman--whatever that may look like. And I'm just not sure it can look as many ways as we sometimes think it can.

My Girls...

...this article really hit home. Not because we struggle with these things personally, but because I have daughters.

Sweetheart, you will be 8 this month.

May you wear pony tails in your hair. And bows.
May you enjoy the doll I am getting you for your birthday.
May you love the dresses your Grandma sews for you.
May you want to go to the park, the library, church, McDonalds, and the toy store. All of these more than the beauty salon.
May you be happy if you are clean and your teeth are brushed.
May you sometimes not care if you are dirty and your hair is crazy-looking. Because you are too busy playing to notice.
May you learn what true beauty is from the Lord. Not your friends. Not a magazine. Not celebrities.
May you look forward to the day when you will wear make-up, fix your own hair, paint your nails, or shave your legs. May you look forward to these things as being far in your future.
May you enjoy being a little girl right now.
May you be more protected than the little girls in the article. They need prayer and protection.

You are my first-born. I need God's help to raise you in a way that pleases Him. Especially when these examples are all around. And godly examples seem to be so few.

School Can't Start Yet--I'm Not Ready!!!

I know I promised the sequel to this post today, but really...WHAT WAS I THINKING? It's Friday, for heaven's sake. My head hurts, I need a nap, and who wants to think about such deep things just before the weekend? So, sadly, I am writing this post instead.


I always pictured us "doing school" at our kitchen table, but it really bugged me that there was no storage in there. Everything would have to be carried in and out each day as we needed it. Also, I wouldn't be able to hang anything on the walls because really, I don't want our kitchen to look like that. SO, I began re-thinking our "home office." I say that in finger quotes because it was supposed to be an office, but was basically functioning as a drop station. I had really good intentions of making it an office for my husband. He spends hours each week working on Bible lessons for youth ministry. But, since he has a laptop he really ends up just sitting in his recliner and working.


Now that I was super motivated to create a schoolroom, I got right to work! I pulled everything out of the desk and off the old bookshelf. I pulled the old furniture out and now....



...we have a huge mess all over the floor. I will NOT, however, be posting pictures of the mess like some people. Mainly because that would take a whole lot of engery and I would have to pry the 3 year old away from the Wiggles website (they have games, you know) long enough to download the pictures.


It's all because these wonderful shelves from IKEA are out of stock right now. It's really throwing my whole plan off. So, my dear husband is going to spend his Saturday building some for me. I can't wait to get them in the room! I'll post pictures of our schoolroom when I'm done.

The other reason why I'm not ready for school to start is that I have so many home projects to finish up around here. We moved into this house last September and we've painted almost every room since then. However, I have so many more plans and I know when school starts all that will slow way down! I am so ready for my home to look finished and be beautiful. I don't spend a lot of money on decorating, but it's important to me how it looks.

So, the lesson plans will have to wait a while longer--I'm busy watching HGTV and getting inspired! I'm busy sewing and painting and organizing. Thank goodness school is starting later this year!

Praising Our Differences?

It is very politically correct to praise "diversity." We are pressured to acknowledge that we are all different, created differently even. We teach small children to appreciate all the skin colors, eye colors, and hair colors that there are. It's not just looks, either. We praise differences in likes and dislikes. I'm not sure you realize how much this appreciation and acceptance of diversity is preached in public schools.

Of course, on the surface there is nothing wrong with pointing out to children all the beautiful ways God made them different. It is amazing, after all, that our Lord thought of so many ways to make people look. It is so interesting to see that Johnny is good at art and Emma loves to read or dance. And children are truly all created beautifully--and many of them need to hear that.

There is another aspect of this acceptance of diversity that is not as easy to recognize. It is so prevalant in today's society that we, as Christians, hardly notice it. After accepting that we were all created to be different in looks--it's not really that big of a jump to accept that we were all created differently in other ways. Here falls the argument that some people were "just made that way." Under this umbrella falls many excuses. And yet, we are to celebrate that diversity, not tell people that they are living wrong!

So, by the time a child has graduated from high school...where does their thinking fall? Do they think it's wrong that the girl in their 7th grade Reading class was pregnant? Of course not--because the teacher is not allowed to even mention the pregnancy or act like she is pregnant. Do they think it's wrong...or just different...that their friend has 2 moms? Is there a wrong and right? Or just, you know, "like me" and "different from me."

Of course, you teach your children at home what is right and wrong. I know you do, BUT they certainly hear another message loud and clear from the media, songs, movies, their teachers, and other adults in their life. Who wouldn't want their child to grow up accepting of differences when you are talking about their friend with autism, or the child in class with epilepsy? We want our children to be accepting of these differences....but not ALL differences. So we have phrases to help out such as "WWJD?" and "hate the sin, but love the sinner."

This is an area we have to be very careful in. Moms, as keeper of your home (and Dads, as the head of your home), you have to do everything you can to teach your children what God's ways and God's standards are. They are found in the Bible. They are not found very many other places. We must guard our children against the thinking of this world.

Tomorrow: How does this acceptance of diversity affect us as women?