TRUE Courage……

 

 

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”

This week I have been “digging thru” some issues with a friend.

Lets just say…she  is having trouble with “being ACCEPTED” by family members.

Sometimes people find it hard to accept something they don’t understand.

It’s actually something I have come to be FAMILIAR WITH over the last 12 years.

ESPECIALLY when people want to hold you to THEIR standards.

The coversations we have been having take me back to the begenning of my “journey”.

When I was 21 -I was what we now call a “hot mess”.

In serious DENIAL of what was of TRUE VALUE in life.

Trust me….it was SERIOUS DENIAL.

Then……………………………………………………………………….

My true self was awakened in me.

I was granted a gift……..knowledge of self.

Something happens in your heart and SOUL when GOD awakens you.

Something miraculous and peaceful.

A “seed of courage” is planted.

A “spiritual seed”  ..so to say.

It is something that at first starts small and needs to be NURTURED.

It has to have time to establish its “roots”.

It is like a tree that starts small and is quite easy to dig up-

AT FIRST.

BUT*****

if you leave it alone and let it LIVE,

if you let it establish its “roots”….

SOON-

the tree stands SO STRONG that-

Neither SHOVEL or STORM can harm it.

Courage is like this.

It was for me.

At first…it was HARD for me to explain what had “happened” to me to family and friends.

It was hard for me to explain WHY is I was BECOMING who I was.

Some thought it was a phase.

MOST were skeptical.

But Jah is amazing and when he plants a “seed” …

he intends for it to GROW into a TREE.

Soon..

my “roots” were firmly planted in my FAITH.

NOONE could deny it.

Lots didn’t understand it.

My life had changed..

I was DIFFERENT.

Not different in the “I am doing this TO BE different” way.

Different in the “I have changed from the INSIDE out” way.

It started on the inside and manifest itself PHYSICALLY on the outside.

Which is REALLY HARD for some to accept.

Hard for some to accept that I have CHOSEN this life.

I have CHOSEN this struggle.

I have CHOSEN to be on the “outside” of the norm.

I have CHOSEN to MAKE people confront THEMSELVES when looking at me.

I have CHOSEN COURAGE.

But it is a PROCESS.

Like I said…It starts small.

But…

over time-

it produces BEAUTIFUL fruit.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring.

It’s THAT time of year again.

Spring.

Which creates …Spring FEVER.

Spring Fever always includes (for me):

summer fever

I love homeschooling

BUT

at this time of year I really have to “keep my eye on the prize” so to say.

The “prize” being summer.

Come on will power…….come on.

BRAVE…..

 

Sheba got her ears pierced last night!!!

YEAH!!!

This is a TRUE ACCOMPLISHMENT because….

we have TRIED to get them pierced 5 TIMES before!!!!!

This is generally what has happened…

Sheba SAYS she wants to get her ears pierced.

SO…

We LOAD UP in the car and TRY and race there before she LOSES her GUTS .

THEN…

We get there and she decides she doesn't want to.

Which is always fine…just a TAD frustrating.

BUT…

yesterday she said she wanted to AGAIN.

SO…

We did what we ALWAYS do when a child “gets BRAVE”..

WE GO.

RIGHT THEN.

But THIS TIME…

something was different.

She wasn’t scared  AT ALL!!!!

She was determined.

She walked right up there, picked out her earrings and DID IT!!!!

Shashamane and I were soooooo proud!!!

Our BABY BEAR was BRAVE!!!!!

PRETENDING………..

 

 

OK…

So I have been known to wear UGLY BLACK CROCS before.

I’m a homeschool mom.

Thats my story and I am STICKIN’ to it!!!!

BUT…..

THESE are the new crocs.

CUTE!!!!!

I could ACT LIKE I had somewhere to go in the morning and look VERY fashionable while I stand at the chalkboard in my classroom.

SOOOOOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!

2010…the year of the DANGLE EARRINGS.

I have to admit….

this spring break visit with Jackie and Hailey was pretty AMAZING.

They kids PRETTY MUCH got along perfectly.

By day 2 they were fighting with Hailey as if she were “one of THEM”- which really is code for.."we like you enough to argue with you.”

LOL

Shashamane REALLY loved spending time with her “not taller” cousin Hailey.

Little girls are funny…

Jackie and I watched ALL WEEK as Shasha just adored Hailey.

And when I say adored ..I mean…ADORED.

She wanted to be JUST LIKE HER.

If  Hailey was wearing capris…Shasha was digging thru her drawers for  a pair of capris.

If Hailey was reading a book…Shasha was sure to be next to her-READING A BOOK!

If  Shashamane woke before Hailey…she NOT-SO-PATIENTLY waited at Hailey's door in anticipation.

ADORABLE!!!!

It was so funny…

At one point I asked Shashamane if she wanted more to eat at lunch and she said, “Is Hailey going to eat more?”

Priceless……

It was also a TESTIMENT to her adoration of Hailey that Shasha WANTED to ride an hour in the car to take Hailey to the airport!

She NEVER wants to go to the airport!!!!

And when we did get to the airport…Shasha was teared up when she had to say bye to Hailey.

And as for sweet Hailey bug…she was such a great sport.

She just let Shasha (and MOST of the time Sheba) just follow her around and LOVE HER.

Sweet, sweet cousin love.

It was a GREAT week filled with the sounds of love, laughter, rain.

Blessings in ABUNDANCE!!!

 

Alligators and Crocodiles..Oh MY!!!!!

Thursday we continued our FUN at the St.Augustine Alligator farm.

SOOOOOO Fun.

And a little “secret-schooley” also!

The kids LOVED all the animals and reptiles.

It was a NICE COOL day, so the USUAL HEAT was safely stowed away till May.

LOVE IT!!!

Here are MORE pics from our adventures:

   

“Pollock"-ish”

If you visit here often, you KNOW that I LOVE to make EVERYTHING into a teaching moment.

As we say….It is the SCHOOL OF LIFE.

So ….while Hailey and Jackie were here we have been not “having school”.

But..I’ve been SNEAKING IN some “secret school”!

Yesterday…the kids wanted to do tie-dye

BUT

I was so NOT WANTING to do it.

Mainly because I didn’t have gloves and didn’t want DYED HANDS for days.

SOOOO…….

I decided to do a little ART LESSON.

A  Jackson Pollock lesson.

We checked this book out on our trip to the library.

And later that night I asked the kids if they wanted to do some painting.

Which is ALWAYS greeted with squeals of excitement

ESPECIALLY when they know they will be painting on a CANVAS.

BIG TIME.

I got everything out and organized.

We decided to do it out in the yard considering that Jackson Pollock really SPLATTERED paint all over the place.

FUN!!!!

I set the canvas up against the tree and started reading the book to the kids about Pollock.

We looked at different examples of his paintings and explained HOW he did it.

Then we started….

 

They LOVED it!!!!!

AND

The tree got a nice piece of art splattered on it also!!!

NATURE ART!!!

 

THIS is the finished product-Which we will PROUDLY display in our kitchen.

LOVE IT….

AMAZING…….

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/behind-36/

More TOGETHERNESS….

We have been having an AWESOME time with Jackie and Hailey in town.

What a blessing.

It seems to me that as we get older….we just MIGHT get wiser.

Gone are the days of fighting and bickering.

Gone are the days of childish games and competitiveness.

Now…

we just love each other.

We can just APPRECIATE each other for who we are.

TRULY.

We have accepted our “roles”.

Mine- the “Crazy” Aunt Jana who flies by the seat of her pants and is NEVER on time.

Hers-the “Not so Crazy” Aunt Jackie who likes to be on a schedule and is perpetually EARLY for everything.

We couldn’t be MORE different…or more the SAME.

Here are a few more pics of our journey this week….