Christmas Sweet

Tonight was the premiere of Christmas Sweet 2008--a Christmas dessert concert that our choir/orchestra/youth choirs and drama teams perform each year. Countless hours go into it and it is always spectacular.

I love beginning the Christmas season with this tradition. It helps us focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Caitlin was part of a percussion ensemble that played an awesome arrangment of "Little Drummer Boy". It was amazing--a 9-piece ensemble. She played the quints (think the drummers in marching band carrying the 5 drums). That is what she played and her drumsticks were flying. I am so proud!

She is also part of the Singing Waiters which is the high school choir. They wait on the tables and then take part in skits and always do an excellent job singing. It was fantastic.

The girls invited their adopted grandparents to go with us--Mike and Nancy Joyce. They are the sweetest couple and love our girls and our girls love them. Please pray for Mike who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is undergoing daily radiation and we can begin to see how tired he is. They are waiting for results of a lung biopsy. Pray that the results are favorable. We are praying for complete healing--we know God is a God of miracles!

As your Christmas season gets underway, we pray that you will remember the true meaning of Christmas and share Christ this year--he is the greatest gift of all.

Blessings to you,
Glynis

Survival Update

Several of you have asked how is homeschooling going...made me realized that I haven't updated that part of our lives lately!

We survived our first 9 weeks and I still have hair! That's a plus!! The girls made straight A's on their report card! They are very proud and worked very hard for it. I have the personality that I want to challenge them, stretch them and make them grow. They didn't get those A's easy.

We are doing alot of unit studies so they are learning about the same topics in language arts, history and science on slightly different levels. They love to challenge each other--a little friendly competition--but they are encouraging each other. If one doesn't get a great grade, the other will encourage her to try again and do better next time. It is wonderful to see.

It is definitely easier to homeschool than I thought. If I can do it, believe me anybody can do it. I can definitely come up with a long lists of "why to homeschool" vs. "why to not homeschool".

Sure, there are sacrifices but they are so worth it!! My children are worth it!

Thank You God for...

My financial struggles - because they make me depend on and trust You, while keeping my focus on the right things;

My weary, tired, sleep deprived body that reminds me to wait on You to gain new strength;

My lack of time to get everything done today on my “to do” list that forces me to constantly be looking to see if my priorities are in order;

My frustrations with others bad/negative attitudes, complaining, unsupportive comments that are a reminder of my own imperfections and Your grace that abounds to me despite them;

My continual battle with bad habits, sins and control issues as they keep me humble
not letting things always go “my way” because Your ways are better than my ways;

This often times messy, disappointing, depressing, conflicted, hostile, unforgiving, suffering world we live in because it makes me long for my real home with You!

What struggles, hardships, conflicts, imperfections or problems are you thankful for, in or through today?

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16

“always giving thanks for all things” Ephesians 5:20