In my life this week…Monday night/Tuesday morning sleep was difficult because of the wind, howling screeching shingle whipping wind all night and into Tuesday.  But the sweet part of that is that most activites were canceled and we were able to stay in, playing smath and watching a fun movie “during the week”. 

After the “Dry” Blizzard we discovered a little damage…our trampoline was broken into pieces and hung on our telephone line and trapped by a low power line.

In our homeschool this week…the basics and a full day of co-op fun, learning and fellowship.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Builder is flying in on Friday evening to be home for our granddaughter’s dedication before the congregation.  Mae has Coppelia rehearsal and there is a widows ministry event on Saturday morning.  Another full weekend.

My favorite thing this week was…singing with my girls, and hearing them discuss the Gospel one morning as they prepared brunch

My kiddos favorite thing this week was…getting back to swim practice after a 2 month break

I’m grateful for…my husband.  He sacrifices so much for our family, and this week he put us first again.  I’m humbled by his generosity to us.

I’m praying for… a family dear to us who are going through marital problems.  Emotional affairs are dangerous places.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…as we were all in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner one evening we were talking about stories and listening to music.  Mae said that she thinks of Lucy and Aslan when she hears “The Call”, not Susan and Prince Caspian.  That got me to thinking, and looking for a youtube video for Mae.  To my delighted surprise, this is what I found…

The winners of the Dial Kids giveaway are Saving with #8Saveone and #17Suzie.  Please email me with your mailing addresses.  Thank you for stopping at By Quiet Waters. 

My story is not about me.

The things that have happened, the questions that I ask.

The answers received.

All tell a greater story than a story about me.

These words are my respone to Freefall to Fly, A breathtaking journey toward a life of meaning by Rebekah Lyons.

At the beginning of reading this story, I found myself distracted by the author’s style of writing.  It too closely resembles my own tangled mess of memories and thoughts.  I even told my husband, at one point, that this book was frustrating me.  But in telling him the point of my frustration, a breathtaking realization came over me.  While Rebekah Lyons peppered the pages of the story with “I”, telling her story, my heart hungered to know “where is God in this?” And then a breakthrough in my own struggle to “tell my story” appeared.

MY STORY is NOT about me. The story I’m being prompted to tell is the story of God’s redemption, of the beauty He makes of the ashes. This realization may not be what the author was aiming to reveal. But this is what telling our story does. When we tell our stories, and point up to the AUTHOR of them, doors of understanding are unlocked. Blinders fall off, deafness gives way to hearing.

After thinking through all of this, I was able to sit back and glean further from the pages. Opening every chapter are quotes from various people. Within chapter three I found a quote familiar to me. I first heard something like it in a movie a few years back and had not been able to find it to add to my commonplace book.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, nor our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?”.   Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world…We were born to make manifest they glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
~ a quote by Marianne Williamson found in chapter 3
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Thank you Rebekah Lyons for pushing through the fear to make manifest the glory of God revealed in your story, your life.  By letting the Light shine, permission has been granted to others to do the same.

Survivors make the most beautiful people ~ indeed.

This book was provided to me by Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  All of the opinions and thoughts here in response to this book are my own.

This song just keeps running through my mind as life speeds and circles and stops all at the same continuous time right in front of my feet.

no longer counting, simply naming them, giving thanks for the gifts, praising the Giver

This Week’s Goals

Family/Mothering
One on one time with Mae, Petal Rose, Chica
Family Movie or Game Night
Begin new read aloud
Finish Photo Book for Petal Rose
Support Mae as she plans her Compassion presentation

Personal
Memorize Psalm 91:15-16
Exercise 4 Days
Read and journal 1 chapter  Because He Loves Me
Read Freefall to Fly, The Lordship of Christ

Homemaking
Morning Freezer Cooking Session 
Tie Cousin Quilt, Mail!

Community
Prepare lesson for youth girls Sunday School
Write 2 letters of gratitude/encouragement
Prepare for Compassion Sunday


Last Week’s Goals
Family/Mothering
One on one time with Mae, Petal Rose, Chica
Family Movie or Game Night
Read Tales of the Defended Ones
Finish Photo Book for Petal Rose
Support Mae as she plans her Compassion presentation

Personal
Memorize Psalm 91:15-16
Exercise 4 Days
Finish current math book, brushing up for College Algebra
Read and journal 1 chapter each of Peacemaking for Families and Because He Loves Me
Read  The Last of the Mohicans, Freefall to Fly

Homemaking
Morning Freezer Cooking Session  (quick wheat baking mix, crockpot bags)
Finish binding on cousin quilt

Community
Prepare lesson for youth girls Sunday School
Write 2 letters of gratitude/encouragement
Finish Ephesian 6 Memory Copywork Book, am handing copies to a few people for feedback.  If you would like to review the Copywork book, let me know.
Prepare for Compassion Sunday

Business
Bottle Vanilla Extract

This week started off a little differently than usual, it was good, but it threw me off!  I was out of the house every morning this week until today.  That makes “schooling” a little challenging, but with my children being older, they do pretty well at keeping up.

Doing a journal entry like this post might be a fun way to keep track of some of the days that are flying quickly by.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…It is recital season and Mae will be rehearsing for Coppelia over the next few weeks.  She also gets to spend some time with a new friend on Sunday.  Tonight we had the pleasure of attending a friend’s book launch. 

My favorite thing this week was…spending a little unexpected one on one time with 2 of my daughters, and a trip to Denver for time with the other two on Monday.  Nikki gave Petal Rose a keratin treatment and taught her how to straighten her hair.  Petal Rose has the most lovely spiral curls, but at 12 year old, they seem to be more a burden than a delight.  Now her curls are much more relaxed and easier for her to take care of.

Things I’m working on…I’m trying to finish up the latest cousin quilt.  Creating Scripture Memory copywork books is bringing me great delight.  We enjoyed The Shelter by Jeannie Fulbright, and I’m looking forward to memorizing more Psalms with my daughters using copywork and recitation.  After I finished up one, I am wondering if anyone would like a copy of it, to review and share thought with me?

I’m grateful for…community.  After many years in this area, we have found community in several places.  I am so thankful for how the circles of community seem to be overlapping more and more.  Mae has had the opporutinty to take science with a group of kids at our home school coop for the past 2 years.  That has been wonderful for her.  This year Petal Rose is able to take an improve class, and Chica is enjoying an art class.  The co op has been a blessing to our family.  I’m so thankful for the group of men and women who work so hard to keep it going. 

I’m praying for…so many people, life is full, hard and good all around.  Our daughter, the mother of JoyNess has been looking for work.  She has a lead on a CNA job.  She applied with the company and hopes to hear back from them next week.

I rewarded my kids this week by…telling them we will have a movie night on Saturday night, and one of their favorite dinners (grilled, marinated tilapia).

Something I am ogling or have my eye on…it’s more that I am looking closely at 2 options for “high school”.  Mae begins high school this fall.  We are leaning towards Sonlight, but are also interested in Liberty University high school.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

“Characters” from in the Hall of the Mountain King book launch

Each month, on the 1st Friday of the month, my Iphone beaps.  The message on the screen tells me that it is Compassion Letter Writing Day!

Usually this is just a quiet activity that I complete at my desk, as my children have set aside different times for their letter writing.  The past week my children and I have been reading a book together that was HARD.  It prompted many discussions, and it drove us to the Bible.  And what we found there I wanted to share with the girls we sponsor through Compassion (I write to the girls, Builder writes to the boys and young men).  Here is what I wrote this month;

This moment ~ a small part of a bigger happening on a sunny Easter Sunday, being caught with a few of the special ladies in my life, enjoying a few moments of womenhood.