Transitions...

We did it!  We survived the first week of school and all the changes that come with changing schools.  While there were definitely some hiccups and tears along the way, for the most part it was joyful.  Throughout the week I had a few observations...
   1.  We got to see how resilient our daughter is.  She wanted this change.  She wrote a thoughtful 4 page letter detailing every reason and then waited patiently for our response.  This was serious business.  I'm sure she had a picture of perfection in her mind.  But when the picture in her mind and the reality of middle school didn't quite match up what we witnessed was her character.  She is thoughtful, determined, smart, and funny...and she used all of those qualities to make the rest of her week successful.
   2.  We've done all we can to equip her for this.  Well, not specifically this, but something of this nature.  A time when she would want to explore new things.  So hooray for equipping her well, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that it's really hard to let go.  I mean, I love this kid!  I genuinely enjoy the amount of time we naturally get to spend together.  I'm sure before long we'll fall into a new routine and it'll be much easier, but until then I'm cutting myself some slack and giving myself permission to miss her.
   3. While we've made the switch from cyber school to public school, I'm grateful for the time we spent homeschooling/cyber schooling.  It gave me such incredible insight into my children's personalities and learning styles.  I firmly believe in school choice and I think families can find success both in the traditional school system and outside it.  It's not a competition between the two options, but rather what works best for your family.  We can each make different decisions on schooling and BOTH achieve success.  gasp.  It's true. After 15 years of countless conversations and explaining myself to others, I've arrived at the notion that there is no one right answer to schooling.  I'm just grateful I had a choice.

Praying together...

I would love to say that my husband and I are really great at praying together, but sadly I can't. We want to be good at it, but the reality is we have ebbs and flows of prayer together.  Time, kids, work schedules are all great excuses to derail our time together.  Nothing quite like a crisis or a bit of uncertainty to bring us back together.  BUT what if we didn't wait for hard times?  What if we were more proactive?  There are a few things I notice when we are actively praying together.

1.  God is in the center of our relationship.  We both pray individually every day, but somehow there's a shift when we pray together.  We've invited Him in to His rightful place and we're allowing Him to lead us.  

2.  We are unified.  We realize that we are in this together...we're a team.  It's not about one or the other, but rather what's best for both of us.  We're on the same side after all and prayer together keeps us going the same direction.

3.  It's intimate.  There is something very special about someone's heart being exposed.  As we both share our deepest desires in prayer it becomes tender and builds trust.  It's an opportunity to be completely vulnerable and grow in our love for each other.  It's like saying 'you're worth the risk'.  I feel very loved when my husband prays over me which in turn strengthens our marriage overall.  

4.  It keeps us humble.  We're sitting in the front row watching God work in our lives.  Lets face it, we make mistakes, yet He's always there...always.  And He pours out His grace and mercy so lavishly on us. 

As we've started praying together again I thought it would be helpful to share my thoughts so that we stay the course and keep ourselves accountable.  Maybe you're already great at this.  To you I say, "well done"!  But if you're in the same boat as us, I encourage you to keep at it and make it a priority. It can be hard, but it's definitely worth every effort!  

with much love ~ pam