My 16 year old now has her driver's license, and so I enter a new era in my life.
It opens up a whole myriad of issues....My prayer life has become more active. I've always heard people say that, but now I know. I don't have the control anymore. I don't mean that she comes and goes as she likes, but when she is driving, I am no longer behind the wheel. Duh.
I am what a friend has referred to as a hover-mother. I am very particular about which teen drivers she is allowed to RIDE with. Now SHE is the teen driver.
Then there are the decisions that I have to make....Can she drive to church separately from me? Should I let her go to Walmart at noon or at 7:00 am when there is less traffic? Will I regret it if I let her run errands that are purely for my convenience? Should she drive in the rain? What if it is raining AND dark? If I call her to check up on her, she has to choose between answering the phone while driving (which is a no-no), or not answering in which case I will be frantic with worry. Every trip must have purpose; no aimless riding around.
Then there's the gas issue She got her license in April and really wanted to drive to school. I am a teacher at her school, and I think it is a waste of expensive gas to drive two vehicles to the same place. She had a hard time understanding this since "all her friends drive to school." Now that school is out, she babysits 3 days a week on the other side of town. Since she doesn't have her own car, she drives one of ours. We developed a system: on Sunday evening, we fill the tank. Then, after she has worked for three days, she fills the tank. That way, she is paying for her own gas and learning responsibility.
I realized that the lesson was learned when her sister suggested that she drive them to church on Wednesday night. "Are you kidding," she replied. "I'm not wasting my gas to go somewhere Mom is also going. We'll ride with her."
Point well taken.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Doggone it!
Mama and Daddy recently boarded their yellow lab while they went on a trip. When they returned, Daddy went to get the dog, brought it home and put it in the backyard.
Since it is an indoor/outdoor dog, it wasn't long until Mama let it in. It promptly went to the house plant, lifted its leg and marked his territory, if you know what I mean.
Mama calls me: I don't think this is Peanut.
Me: What do you mean it's not Peanut?
Mama: Well, it has certain...ah...features that Peanut had fixed.
Dog (in background): Aaaroooah, Aaaaroooahhooo!!!!
Me: It doesn't sound like Peanut. What does Daddy say?
Mama: That when they brought Peanut to him, he told them that the dog had the wrong collar on.
In other words, instead of switching dogs, they switched collars.
Since it is an indoor/outdoor dog, it wasn't long until Mama let it in. It promptly went to the house plant, lifted its leg and marked his territory, if you know what I mean.
Mama calls me: I don't think this is Peanut.
Me: What do you mean it's not Peanut?
Mama: Well, it has certain...ah...features that Peanut had fixed.
Dog (in background): Aaaroooah, Aaaaroooahhooo!!!!
Me: It doesn't sound like Peanut. What does Daddy say?
Mama: That when they brought Peanut to him, he told them that the dog had the wrong collar on.
In other words, instead of switching dogs, they switched collars.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Which way do I go?
I am directionally challenged. I admit it. It is a point of frustration for my husband who has an internal compass and never gets lost because he is not afraid to ask for directions. I take that back...he has gotten turned around a couple of times, but that is because I was the one reading the map.
I cannot follow "landmark directions." Please tell me street names and distances. I have the directions to my brother's house in my pda, and I still refer to them even though he has lived on the same street for the past eight years. In my defense, he does live in another state. It's not like he is within walking distance or anything.
Once, my sister and I were coming back from a shopping trip to a town about an hour north of us. All of a sudden we saw the welcome sign for a totally different town to my west. We both screeched the name of the town with confusion in our voices. Apparently, we missed the turn south.
However, today I am feeling a measure of accomplishment. My sister who lives about 5 hours away has been chaperoning at a youth camp only about an hour and a half from my house. I mapquested the directions, wrote them down, and promptly left them on the desk. Despite this oversight, I remembered them and found the camp without a hitch.
It was nice to spend a few hours talking with her, analyzing other family members, comparing children, and planning a potential family vacation.
I cannot follow "landmark directions." Please tell me street names and distances. I have the directions to my brother's house in my pda, and I still refer to them even though he has lived on the same street for the past eight years. In my defense, he does live in another state. It's not like he is within walking distance or anything.
Once, my sister and I were coming back from a shopping trip to a town about an hour north of us. All of a sudden we saw the welcome sign for a totally different town to my west. We both screeched the name of the town with confusion in our voices. Apparently, we missed the turn south.
However, today I am feeling a measure of accomplishment. My sister who lives about 5 hours away has been chaperoning at a youth camp only about an hour and a half from my house. I mapquested the directions, wrote them down, and promptly left them on the desk. Despite this oversight, I remembered them and found the camp without a hitch.
It was nice to spend a few hours talking with her, analyzing other family members, comparing children, and planning a potential family vacation.
Monday, June 25, 2007
"Tell-all" Relationships
One of the sweetest gifts that I can think of is friendship.
Today I had lunch with two of my very best friends. These two girls and I go back about 14 years. We have the same value system, which seems to be pretty conservative even in our church-going, Bible-believing crowd. Although they are willing to stand with me even when they may think my ideas are goofy, more times than not we agree.
So we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, put the children at another table (far away), and spent two and a half hours chatting.
The issues today were whether or not mixed swimming during Bible studies is appropriate (not), if cell phones for our teenagers were a necessity or a luxury (luxury) and if texting was required (not), and what to do about some dissatisfaction about our church (pray).
It's great that we all know that all our conversation is held in confidence, and we can safely "sound off" to one another.
After an several refills of coke and countless bowls of chips and salsa, we reluctantly parted ways again.
Unfortunately, these tell-all luncheons are few and far between. Strangely, we are much better face-to-face friends than phone friends. Usually our families will get together to eat or play, but it is nice every once in a while for it to be just us.
I am learning to have this "tell-all" relationship with God, too. What started as an overwhelming burden to pray for a particular student of mine has become much more. I know that God is calling me into intercessory prayer, especially in the area of the school where I teach. I was burdened to pray for a particular student in my class several year ago. A while back, I began to pray for him every day. I use scripture and pray specific things for his life. I see God specifically answering some of those prayers.
But a strange thing happened. I began to change too. As I prayed for him, I developed a deeper relationship with the Lord. The more I prayed, the more I wanted to pray, and the broader my prayers became. The scriptures that I first prayed for him became applicable in the lives and situations of others. I am growing as I communicate with God and He communicates with me.
I still pray for this person every day. Sometimes there seems to be an urgency in my heart. I know God has a great plan and purpose for him, and perhaps I am the only person in his life that prays for him. I only know that God has called me to intercede for him. He will never know the hours that have been spent calling on the Lord for him, but I have faith that God's purpose will be accomplished in him, that "He who began a good work in [him] will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Today I had lunch with two of my very best friends. These two girls and I go back about 14 years. We have the same value system, which seems to be pretty conservative even in our church-going, Bible-believing crowd. Although they are willing to stand with me even when they may think my ideas are goofy, more times than not we agree.
So we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, put the children at another table (far away), and spent two and a half hours chatting.
The issues today were whether or not mixed swimming during Bible studies is appropriate (not), if cell phones for our teenagers were a necessity or a luxury (luxury) and if texting was required (not), and what to do about some dissatisfaction about our church (pray).
It's great that we all know that all our conversation is held in confidence, and we can safely "sound off" to one another.
After an several refills of coke and countless bowls of chips and salsa, we reluctantly parted ways again.
Unfortunately, these tell-all luncheons are few and far between. Strangely, we are much better face-to-face friends than phone friends. Usually our families will get together to eat or play, but it is nice every once in a while for it to be just us.
I am learning to have this "tell-all" relationship with God, too. What started as an overwhelming burden to pray for a particular student of mine has become much more. I know that God is calling me into intercessory prayer, especially in the area of the school where I teach. I was burdened to pray for a particular student in my class several year ago. A while back, I began to pray for him every day. I use scripture and pray specific things for his life. I see God specifically answering some of those prayers.
But a strange thing happened. I began to change too. As I prayed for him, I developed a deeper relationship with the Lord. The more I prayed, the more I wanted to pray, and the broader my prayers became. The scriptures that I first prayed for him became applicable in the lives and situations of others. I am growing as I communicate with God and He communicates with me.
I still pray for this person every day. Sometimes there seems to be an urgency in my heart. I know God has a great plan and purpose for him, and perhaps I am the only person in his life that prays for him. I only know that God has called me to intercede for him. He will never know the hours that have been spent calling on the Lord for him, but I have faith that God's purpose will be accomplished in him, that "He who began a good work in [him] will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Sunday, June 24, 2007
About Me
My first blog....
What is the purpose of my blogging? First, it will give me an outlet for my thoughts and wonderings. Second, it is a good way to have sort of an online journal. Third, perhaps I will make some new friends.
My life at this point revolves around my girls and their activities. I am a teacher at their (small, private) school, so this gives me the rare advantage of knowing so much more about their live than the average mom does. We tend to err on the strict side, so it is nice to know not only all of their friends, but also all of their friends' parents. We tend to be pretty involved in all of their activities.
My husband and I have been married for almost 20 years. We love to travel, both as a family and as a couple. We are not made of money, but we are extremely budgeted so that we can manage fun trips and all the other things that are important to us. Luckily, I am not a big shopper.
Daughter 1 is going into the 11th grade. She is mild, does love to shop, and gets along with everyone. She plays basketball and has a babysitting job three days a week this summer that allows her to shop.
Daughter 2 is going into the 10th grade. She is more outgoing, loves drama, and hates shopping. She saves money better than she spends it.
So, that is my family. I'm sure you will get to know us better as time passes.
What is the purpose of my blogging? First, it will give me an outlet for my thoughts and wonderings. Second, it is a good way to have sort of an online journal. Third, perhaps I will make some new friends.
My life at this point revolves around my girls and their activities. I am a teacher at their (small, private) school, so this gives me the rare advantage of knowing so much more about their live than the average mom does. We tend to err on the strict side, so it is nice to know not only all of their friends, but also all of their friends' parents. We tend to be pretty involved in all of their activities.
My husband and I have been married for almost 20 years. We love to travel, both as a family and as a couple. We are not made of money, but we are extremely budgeted so that we can manage fun trips and all the other things that are important to us. Luckily, I am not a big shopper.
Daughter 1 is going into the 11th grade. She is mild, does love to shop, and gets along with everyone. She plays basketball and has a babysitting job three days a week this summer that allows her to shop.
Daughter 2 is going into the 10th grade. She is more outgoing, loves drama, and hates shopping. She saves money better than she spends it.
So, that is my family. I'm sure you will get to know us better as time passes.
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