Homeschooling Through a Traffic Jam

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.   

 When I first became Alexis' "official" teacher, our schoolhouse was quite different than it is now.  My two older children were attending a Christian School, and my husband worked in an office about 15 miles from home.  Four years later, one child went away to college, one was still in high school, and my husband continued working at his office.  The following year - both older children had flown the nest off to college, and it was terribly quiet.  The lack of activity was almost deafening.  None of us left behind liked it very much.

 

Amanda returned home after her first year, wanting to stay here.  We warmly welcomed her back.  It felt so very good to have her around again!  After registering for her fall classes, I realized that Amanda would have some down time during our school time.  We smiled, and tried to stay flexible - still glad to have her here.  We all learned to work around each other, and homeschooling went just fine until about April...  With one-fifth of our school year remaining, David spent most days making business calls and working out of our home while we had some major remodeling done.  Amanda had a crazy schedule and seemed to excessively be in and out, and workers were constantly roaming throughout our house, prying windows out of walls and more.  In the name of progress, Alexis and I bit our tongues, tried to stay focused - and persevered for two loooong months.

 

Thankful and grateful were emotions I held when we began another school year in a quiet house.  Amanda's schedule was busier, David (son) was back at school, my husband was back at his office, and Alexis and I embraced a home-front that stayed peaceful and productive.  As the new year rolled in, my husband began to hear rumors of a restructure within his company.  We felt concern, prayed often, and held on tight awaiting news.  We were both ever so relieved and thankful when we learned that David's job remained safe.  His office, however, did not.  David learned that he would have to work out of our house.  When receiving the news, I winced...  Immediately I felt shameful for my reaction, and quickly repented to my husband - attempting to hold a determination that this new way of life would work for our family.  Within the next few months, our homeschool environment once again received an upheaval as my husband moved his office into our bedroom.  Believing that this was temporary, and that he would soon use our son's bedroom as an office, (upon graduation, David had hoped to remain in his college town and get a job,) and knowing too, that we would soon finish Alexis' homeschool year, I attempted to relent peaceably to this invasion.  (Key word:  Attempted.  I waned at my repentance - truth be known.)  In spite of everything, we completed Alexis' 7th grade year...

 

That brings us to the present school year...  About a month or so ago I blogged about a struggle I was having concerning a job that my son planned to accept.  Although I came to a place of letting God know that I was okay with it if it was His choice, I was relieved when the offer left the table.  David has accepted another job - and will remain here, leaving for work just as Alexis finishes school each day.  Amanda goes to college full time and works part time.  During Alexis' school days, Amanda is gone only 4 of those hours per week.  My husband remains in the carved out office in our bedroom holding conference calls, phone meetings, etc.  Alexis and I work mostly in our family room, which is the center of our home.  Our walls are thin, our ceilings are high.  I used to think that we had the perfect sized house.  There was no coveting on my part for a schoolroom, until now....  Just a little bit....  Sometimes lately more often than not....

Although there are moments that I wish our bonding was done after school hours, I try to stay mindful of the fact that I love my family, and would be foolish to be unappreciative of any time spent together.  When there is an invasion of the kitchen during a math lesson, with dishes clanking - and a microwave running, clearly I know that I will soon blink my eyes - and this season of our lives will be over.  When Alexis' Bible lesson is going on, and Amanda wants a car moved so she can get hers into the driveway to be washed, I try to smile and remember that the older two will soon be out on their own, Alexis will be off to college, and David will have made an office out of one of their rooms.  I know I will look back on these days with a recognition of worth and give thanks to the One who gave me these blessings.  I will strive to keep my attitude in check for Him!  I think...  I hope...

Journey

Our radio mostly stays on Christian music.  It's a rare day that we listen to oldies.  When it happens, I smile and reminisce for a few moments.  Then after piecing together the true meaning of the song at hand, I usually become mortified by the lyrics I once joyfully sang as a child/teen/young adult - without having ever given it the first thought.  So- when Alexis came home from camp singing an old blast from my past 1981 Journey song, I thought it was time to "google" the lyrics to see if they may be a bit too edgy for our family's liking.  Did I mention - it was a church camp?  Did I mention that she's picking the tune out on the piano?

Don't Stop Believin'

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Working hard to get my fill,
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice,
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights people

I can see how the youth pastors might use the song to interpret a life lesson about "what not to do,"  with an encouragement to keep on believing in our Lord.  It's a stretch, but okay...  I think I'll be speaking with Alexis to find out the context that surrounded the use of the song.  It amuses me to know that these kids were belting out a ballad from my generation.  Back in my day - that would not have been a cool thing to do.

While searching for the Journey song mentioned above - I realized that the band is still together, although Steve Perry is no longer the lead singer.  I really loved his passionate vocals, and just had to go on You Tube to see how the new guy compared.  When doing so, I found a single that Journey placed in the number 1 spot on an album (are they actually still called that???) called Revelation, which came out in 2008.  This song totally touched my heart, as I reflected on the many years I have been blessed to be my husband's wife.



After All These Years lyrics

A faded wedding photograph
You and me in our first dance
Our eyes are closed, we’re lost in one sweet embrace
Since those days the world has changed
But our love remains the same
God knows we've had our share of saving grace

And I'm proud of all the blessings you have given me
The mountains we have climbed to get this far
We've learned to take the laughter with the tears
After all these years

You make it feel brand new
After the fires that we walked through
Against the odds we never lost our faith
In a house we’ve made our own
Where our children all have grown
Precious moments time cannot erase

Make a living up and down the gypsy highways
The seasons that we’ve had to share apart
Somehow in my heart I always keep you near
After all these years

After all these years
You stood by me the days and nights that I was gone
After all these years
You sacrificed, believed in me and you stood strong
Cause with our love there’s nothing left to fear
After all these years

After all these years
You stood by me the days and nights that I was gone
After all these years
You sacrificed, believed in me and you stood strong
Cause with our love there's nothing left to fear
After all these years

Wanting to believe and hope in the best for people, I'd love to not just imagine, but know that the band has grown in a relationship with the Lord.  It would be awesome to know they have come to an understanding, a "revelation" - per say, (like the album's title) of Who it is that truly is the key to their "journey."  (Yes, that became an unintentional pun.)  All that to say, and maybe I'm romanticizing it a bit, but I would love to imagine that we grew closer to the Lord together.  Ah, to know that we would one day have Journey leading us in proclamations of worship to our Lord!  Who's famous voices will we hear singing praises to our God and King when we enter heaven?