This Is Only the Beginning...

This week I started Judah's homeschool preschool.  He was so excited and couldn't wait for his school to begin.  Over the last couple of months, my DH would watch the kiddos for a couple of hours while I went and planned/prepared for the school year.  So finally, Monday arrived school was started.  Daddy was working from home on Monday, so he was able to snap a picture of us before we started.

This week we are reviewing colors.  On Monday, we talked about how God made all the different colors that we see.  We made an artist's palette as our craft for the day.

On Tuesday, we reviewed red and yellow.  Judah was very excited to be doing school again, so we busted out the scissors and let him clip away at a paper plate that we had colored yellow.  We made a sun that day.

On Wednesday, we reviewed brown and blue.  I knew that we were going to need more crafting than just the coloring that our curriculum had.  So we made a boat picture using little brown rectangles for the boat, a yellow circle for the sun, a red triangle for the sail, and wavy strips of blue for the water.  We pulled out the glue, so he was happy about that.

Magdalene is ever curious about what Judah is doing and several times during our lesson comes to check things out.

On Thursday, we reviewed black and green.  We didn't have any special craft for that day, even though  in retrospect, I should have planned one.

On Friday, we reviewed purple and orange.  We did our curriculum coloring pages, which included a the rainbow with the story of Noah.  After nap, we made M&M cookies to celebrate all of the colors we learned about this week.

 On Saturday, the local Chick-fil-a had First Responder Day.  We had fun exploring the fire trucks and SWAT vehicle.

The most memorable thing for Judah from the day was the cow dressed up with a "fire-hat" on.

At the beginning of this year, I really felt like God had placed two words upon my heart.  They were simplicity and content.  All year, God has been laying on my heart various part of my life/dreams that I have set up that take my focus away from Him and His plan for my life.  Just recently I ran across a quote that really stuck in my mind.  I am unsure whether I have read it before this week, but this time it really hit a nerve.

Where God has me today, am I embracing that or am I pining away for the someday where I dream of a gigantic house with all its vintage charm and family nearby?  God has put me here, today to do something specific and if I am too busy wondering about what my life may hold, there is a strong chance I will miss that something. I want to be ALL there, where He has me.  

I didn't really think of it before I read this quote, but always having the "world" at my finger tips has taken me away from where I am right now.  I want to be whole heartedly in whatever I am doing and do it well.  I don't want to feel the constant urge to check the latest social network or see what usually "useless" email has come into my inbox.  I want to really BE there for my children.  Not just be there physically, but there mentally as well.  I want God to make me aware of even the smallest teachable moment, where I have a chance to share about Him, but I can't do that if I am preoccupied.   

Sometimes in my multi-tasking mind, I get so caught up in the big list of things to do that I don't think about the moment.  I fold the clothes out of the dryer and wait to check it off my list, when instead I have a moment to think about the precious people who wear them and thank my heavenly Father for blessing my life with them.  I am the keeper of my home, but there is more to that then dinner, laundry, and cleaning.  I have a priceless opportunity to cover my house in prayer, not big long drawn out ones, but little prayers from my heart for those live in or come by this house of mine.  

Wherever I am, I want to be ALL there and I want today to be the beginning!