Never Thought I'd.... HOMESCHOOL?

I never thought I would say this....

I was a manager for a public accounting firm...on my way to partner. After my first child, I started realizing there was more to live for then my work and money! I never thought I would say that. I was important. I didn't even have time to talk to my friends I was so busy.

My daughter was 6 months old when I resigned to take a PART-TIME job as a consultant. One year from my anniversary date, I was a STAY-AT-HOME MOM...Did I mention, pregnant with baby #2?!

My oldest is now in the 1st grade and I cannot believe my lips...we are going to HOMESCHOOL her for 2nd grade. What happened to me?

I was on my UP way in a big firm! I was important! I partied with the best. I love to dance, go out, be social and have a great time with the rest of them. Murphy's Law was my friend - it followed me everywhere. Complaining was the start of my every week - "Oh man, its Monday again!" "I hate Monday's!" "Thank God it's Friday!" "You know 2 things have gone wrong and I am just waiting on the 3rd to hit me between the eyes!" "If something bad could happen, it will happen to me!" These were just a few of my daily phrases.

I was saved in 1997. I finally gave up trying to control my own life (so I thought) and I told God that I am not capable or worthy...I keep messing it up...now I give it to you - the mess of my life that I have made...it's yours!

Have you ever been to one of those Christmas parties where you exchange gifts that you had previously been given from someone else (the BAD gifts)...I left a party once with a plastic gold framed mirror! Well my life was one of those gold mirrors..."God just take it - get it out of my hands - I feel obligated to use it, but I just so don't want it anymore and I will feel better if you can get some use out of it!"

In 2000, my first bible study, I realized something from reading Matthew, everything that I thought was good about me stunk! What, did I read that right? Surely not! Yep, I read that right - all the things I thought I did pretty good, well according to the bible, I stunk it all up a pretty good one!

This was day one to my new attitude on life. Before I knew it, Murphy’s Law wasn’t following me every single day. The very next year, I realized that my mess that I had given over to the Lord was actually a gift that He lived to get! That GOLD mirror I thought was trash was cherished by someone after all!!

People would talk about me or say things like, “you are a dork...” or they would talk about me behind my back, “you know she’s divorced and I heard….” I was that gold mirror, but God gave His life for me and I finally received forgiveness for my sins! He turned an ugly, plastic mirror into authentic gold.

I stopped getting my value from what I did (work, serve, help others, etc.)! I started getting my value from my Father. Murphy’s Law finally disappeared.

One day I woke up and just realized that I wanted my kids to learn about God NOW – while they are young and I am the apple of their eye. I wanted to be the one raising them and influencing their choices and keeping them under my umbrella of protection, not the schools.

I love the school…don’t get me wrong. I love the Christian school and the teachers that we attend. However, one day, I realized that they were getting the best of my little/big girl and I was getting her exhaustion and her leftovers – weekends were not enough!

I am very selfish with my time…I like babysitters and time out to lunch with a friend so home schooling was a hard decision to make. I thought, “I will lose ME time.” I finally confessed to my husband that he was going to have to make this decision because I was protecting ME time!

Once we made the decision to homeschool, I have not looked back. We made the final decision 30 days ago and I cannot wait! I don’t know how long we will do it! I just can’t wait to have the best part of my gifts from God every single day to teach them about Him and not miss out on so many teachable moments.

So….I am off – my first year of homeschooling. Pray for me (Eph. 1:17) and I will keep you posted!