My peaceful place….

The last month has been a whirlwind. I’m sorry I haven’t posted much lately, but I’ve just been trying to keep my head above water until summer break arrived. Here are a few of the activities that some or all of my family were involved in during the last month:

Karate tournament

Piano recital

Birthday parties

Baby shower

Class play

Worship dance performance

Poetry recital

Water/field day

Standardized testing

Graduation at the school where Trevor teaches

All of this was in addition to normal things like work, homeschooling, karate practices, piano practices, church duties, cooking, housekeeping, couponing, and so on. Also, I’ve taken on quite a few new duties at the homeschool academy, so I’ve been busy ordering curriculum for K-8th grades (mostly used, from various sites and various sellers—very time consuming), while handling payroll, banking/bookkeeping, insurance, maintaining the school website and Facebook page, getting records ready for accreditation, and various other school responsibilities.

Add to that the fact that we’re trying to get our house ready to put on the market, so I painted a bathroom and laundry room and I’ve been working on a massive clean-out and give-away campaign to de-clutter our house before we list it.

Whew! What a month!

I’m always glad to see June get here after a tough and busy school year. Because I married a school teacher, summers are especially meaningful to us, since our family is able to take a long break together. We work on house projects that need to be done, take trips together, go swimming and bowling a lot, spend time with extended family, do some canning and freezing of garden fruits and veggies, and generally rejuvenate to get ready for the next school year. I love summer break, and it seems like this year I needed it more than usual.

Isn’t is sweet when the Lord gives us time to rest and re-charge our batteries? Here are a few verses that spoke to my heart regarding rest:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2-3)

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” (Psalm 55:6)

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31b)

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'” (Exodus 33:14)

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11)

So, in the midst of preparing my house to sell and getting things situated for the coming school year at our homeschool academy, I look forward to taking some much-needed breaks, too. I plan to sit in the rocking chair on my front porch sipping coffee, read some great books that I don’t have time to read during the school year (I already finished the Hunger Games trilogy…..FABULOUS!), catch some rays at the pool with my kids, spend leisurely time with extended family and friends, and generally recover from the stress of the busy school year.

Life is full for our family (sometimes more full than we would like) during this stage of our lives, but I realize how very fleeting these moments are. I intend to savor them while they’re here. I hope you’ll join me in slowing down some this summer and re-filling your tank with rest, energy, enthusiasm, enrichment, and joy.

Happy Summer! 🙂