Getting Ready for School

This morning with an online Bible study group, a friend posted this status:

Matthew 12:34b "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." This is so neat. It's a really easy way for us to evaluate our own hearts and our kids' hearts. No wondering what is really in the heart. Do our words primarily build up? Complain? Argue? Thank? Express Joy? Love? Anger? Spite? Pride? Love? Judgment? etc. It's easy to look at other's words and know their heart, but sometimes it's easy to deceive ourselves. Maybe you/we could ask a close friend, child or husband what primarily comes out of your/my mouth? (If you truly want the truth). =)

I read it rather quickly, and decided I'd watch things I say today. (This is much easier than asking someone you love for the truth.)

A little later in the morning, I was making some last-minute phone calls to try to book fundraisers with the local schools. I have a dozen last-minute things I (notice the capital I) want to get done before our school year starts. Calling principals was top on my list. 

I like to read the principal's message on the school's website before I call. It gives me a little reminder of what they are like. This morning I read this principal's message. Here's the last part:

I can't wait to get started. When we get down to mere days before the start of school I get a huge surge of excitement. That is one of the many great parts of my job. It is just like being a kid again and getting excited for the first day of school. I will get to see all of my friends again. I usually buy new pens and notebooks, and even think about what I will wear for the "first day of school," just like I did when I was ten. I hope that all of our teachers, staff, students and families are just as excited and pumped for the new year. I know it will be a great one!!!

It really convicted me.

She’s excited about the upcoming school year.

Really excited.

Have I been that excited about our school year?

Um. No.

I don’t think I’ve been actually complaining out loud, but I’m afraid to ask.

Either way, I also haven’t been expressing abundant joy about the task.

That’s because I forgot to be thankful.

Ladies, it is a tremendous blessing to be able to homeschool our own children. My mother worked as her children got older. My grandmother worked when her children got older. We’re getting to spend some precious years WITH our children. MORE time than our grandparents had. We get to share both the gospel and the wonders of God’s creation. We have no constraints. We have no testing. We have no meetings we have to attend. We have no standards to meet but God’s and our own.

We should smile – a lot. We should tell the children how thankful we are that we can home school them this year. We should let them know that we are so excited to see them in the morning and to spend the day with them. We should set a high standard in the Lord and cheer with great joy as we watch them reach it. I’m getting pumped as I type!

Hmmm. . . what to wear?

Conservative pajamas?

Homeschool-mom skirt/blouse and a matching pen behind my ear?

Mad scientist outfit with a lab coat and crazy eye-brow glasses?

Wildflowers and tie-dye?

The kids would think I’m crazy, but they’d probably smile. ;-)