The Beginning

I'm expecting a slow start to this, just to let you know.  I do not doubt that I am a little rusty with my writing.  It has been some time now since I have allowed words in writing to convey the thoughts in my mind.  I suppose it has been a bit chaotic the past 4 years, but it has been a good chaotic, the kind I would not trade for anything.  It is true what is said about a baby changing everything...so true.  But let me go back a little further.

The journey really started in 1994 at a youth retreat.  That is when my eyes were first opened to Jesus.  Unfortunately, without the stability I needed at that age - and I won't go into specifics because this is about my journey not anyone else's so there is no need to drag anything out - I quickly shut my eyes and ran.  I suppose I had never feared failing as much as I did then and so I decided not to even try.  9 years, and so many painfully stupid mistakes later I felt that longing again.  A void that deep in my soul I knew only One could fill.  I started searching again.  Crying out.  That's when I met Eric.  That's when I met the Lord again.  That's when He reached out to me, wrapped His loving arms around me and hasn't let go yet.  And that's when I took off running and I have not looked back since.

There have still been mistakes.  Regrets.  Anxiety.  But with all of that, there has been forgiveness, grace and the promise of peace that surpasses all understanding.  There have still been fears and sadness.  But with them, there has been perfect love to cast out fear and true joy.

I married Eric in January of 2006.  I can say with absolute certainty that God made the perfect match.  We grew, but our growth really started when we were blessed with our first child.  Princess I was a force to be reckoned with...she still is.  And we thought she was it.  We could not imagine doing that again.  But, praise God, that he broke through to my heart and along came Princess A.  I could not imagine one moment without looking into their sweet faces.  I could not imagine home without the sound of their voices.  And I most certainly could not bear the thought of a moment without feeling their little arms holding me.  We are tethered to each other because of the beauty of God's blessing, provision and sovereignty.

We made a decision during our first pregnancy that I would stay home with our daughter and any future blessings.  It was a decision we made after much prayer.  We knew that we needed that solid confirmation from the Lord because the decision would likely be met with concern and judgement and we needed to be grounded in Truth to withstand the emotions that would come with that.  About a year after our little girl was born the Lord impressed upon my heart the desire to homeschool.  I began thinking about this, unsure if it was His desire or mine.  As a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher.  But in my young adult life I never gave that much thought, nor did I imagine homeschooling.  I had always pictured myself as a career woman.  But the more I thought about being a career woman, the more it felt wrong for me.  I prayerfully considered this because as with any decision this huge, I did not want to take it lightly or assume that it was God's desire for me.  I kept remembering the Psalm which I had prayed over so much in regards to more children.  Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.  I was so afraid to have more children, but I knew that I was not in control and needed to give those fears to God.  The same was true about homeschooling.  I knew that if I sought Him on this, that He would reveal to me, in His word, that the desire of my heart to homeschool was from Him.  And that is exactly what He did.  It did not happen right away.  I was given the opportunity to practice patience while I awaited His confirmation.  I was in service one morning, pregnant with Princess A, and seriously loving worship and after we opened in prayer and proceeded to announcements, there it was in the connection (our church bulletin) a homeschooling bible study group, for new homeschoolers, or those considering it.  After many months of consideration and prayer, this was an answer.  With verses in tow, Deuteronomy 6:5-9 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" and Deuteronomy 11:18-20 "So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates", I signed up for the group and began my research.  It was my confirmation and so it began.  Our homeschool journey.

So with that said, my goal over the next couple of weeks is to bring you up to speed with our life.  I figured it best to give you this glimpse and add more details to it as time allows over the next few weeks.  Once you are up to date, my hope is that this blog would give you access to see how God is working in our lives constantly.  How He is in control and how we submit to Him.  My prayer for this blog is that ultimately, God would receive glory from it and through it.

I am truly looking forward to sharing our journey with you!!  May you be blessed by it.

For now, that is all.  ~~ Jennifer