My Flower Garden

 Tri-color glad.  It's my favorite but they were all so beautiful.

 Nasturtium, I forgot I planted it.  I plant it every year, but I must pull it thinking it's weeds.  This is the first year it's come up (that I know of, LOL) and bloomed.

This popped up under my holly hocks.  The flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon.  It took over the flower bed and had lots of flowers.  I knew it was some kind of gourd or melon but it didn't put on anything.  Finally it put on a small green striped elongated melon.  So I thought, well it's a watermelon or pumpkin.  Now the mystery melon is solid green and getting round so I guess it's a pumpkin.  Mystery solved.

Rain!

It finally rained at our house today!  I know, everyone around has been getting regular rain.  We usually sit and watch the clouds go right around us without a drop.  Rainstorms provide beautiful sunsets!  This is the view to the south of our house.  It was so much prettier than the actual sunset tonight.

Our words...they mean something.

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
                                                                                                                                Proverbs 18:2
In my soul exists the constant striving to just be quiet; to listen, see, experience life around me.  If I could only listen and comply more often than I do!


"A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating."
                                                                                                                                Proverbs 18:6
Think before speaking.  How will my words help this situation or person?


"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul."
                                                                                                                               Proverbs 18:7
Words matter.  The things I say impact me deeply whether I realize it or not.


"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts."
                                                                                                                             Proverbs 18:8
Gossip seems harmless sometimes but it will infect you.


"He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame."
                                                                                                                             Proverbs 18:13
Wow!  I am so guilty of this!  This goes back to verse 2; if I could just listen and not try so hard to get MY point of view or position into the conversation things would go much smoother.


"A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?"
                                                                                                                        Proverbs 18:14
I must keep my spirit healthy and active in good times so I can lean on it in bad times.  If I allow it to be crushed for small reasons how can I possibly survive during the really hard times?

"The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out."
                                                                                                                          Proverbs 18:15
Another reminder to listen, see and experience.

I'm still here...

I sit in the passenger seat while he's driving, getting his hours for his provisional license.  I remember teaching you to drive.  I remember all the conversations, meaningful and not, LOL.  I remember all the music you introduced me to, some of it I liked, LOL.  I remember the time you almost launched us off that overpass.  These are all fond memories.


I teach him to clean (up to my standards, of course, LOL) and remember what a great job you always did.  You learned quickly and did a great job.  I don't think I told you enough, if at all.  I'm sorry for that.  I wish I could have appreciated the positive more than I focused on the negative and the things that needed correcting.


I put my makeup on and remember teaching you how to wear makeup.  I shave my legs and remember teaching you to shave.  I curl my hair and remember you teaching me how to fix my hair in different ways.  I remember helping you dye your hair and talking your dad into letting you try different colors and the spikes.  These are fond memories.


We are intertwined.  I am who I am today because of your influence in my life.


I wish I could have told you then how important you are to me.  I am telling you now how important you are to me and that I love you.  I am here whenever you need me and whenever you are ready.  I will always be here for you.

The homeschooling journey...

"Homeschooling is like entering a lifeboat from a large cruise ship. The cruise ship - like some schools - is pleasant enough, but unfortunately travels in circles, seeming to go nowhere. Some passengers learn to handle of even enjoy the prescribed activities. Others openly rebel by acting out or spacing out.

One day, knowing there must be a better way, you and your family board a lifeboat to chart your own course. your children look to you for direction, and you smile back, a little scared and definitely lost. Uncertain of your destination, you look around the great big ocean from your tiny lifeboat, wave good-bye to the cruise ship, and start rowing.

That is how most families begin homeschooling. they dip their oars into the water and shove off, using the equipment available - their experience, learning materials in their homes, and free community resources. Eventually, they reach an island where they find other homeschooling families and learn about ta world of resources and opportunities. Their children begin to flourish, and they wonder why they ever had any doubts about leaving the ship."

Homeschooling the Teen Years by Cafi Cohen

This is such a good analogy!

The Parable of the Lost Son AKA The Story of the Prodigal Son

The Parable of the Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32New International Version (NIV)

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Some things to remember about this parable:


Prodigal - 1. Characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure 2. Recklessly spendthrift


The prodigal child lived the way he wanted for a period of time, but he came back to his father.  The opportunity for healing didn't occur until the prodigal child realized he wanted a relationship with his father.  A prodigal child will not return without a change of heart and it must be the prodigal child's choice to return.  I fear that if the father had actively sought out the prodigal child and tried to make the prodigal child see reason that it would have prolonged the prodigal child's absence.


You don't need to earn a parent's love.  You can count on a parent's love; it will always be there. The father had no choice but to continue tending his flocks and fields while the prodigal child was gone.  Other were depending on him.  He must have been hurt deeply but in his wisdom he knew that God was in control and that all things work together for the glory of God.


Every time I hear this parable I get something else out of it.  there's a good book called The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller that talks about the older son in this parable.  he talks about why the older son was made; because he followed all the rules and did everything he was supposed to and the younger son did not.  It's a very interesting read, especially to an oldest child.

Winter Storm

Sunrise this morning. It was 4* at 7am with a few snowflakes in the air. It was 3* at 7:30am and the clouds covered the sun and there was more snow. At 3pm today it is 30*, blue skies not a cloud in sight and no snow falling.
Apparently, the horses thought it was feeding time.
Isn't this the epitome of New Mexico weather? I could have moved the camera slightly to the left and gotten a picture of blue skies and slightly tot he right and severe dark clouds. LOL