It's Just Me!

I realize I haven't written anything in a little bit. I always feel that I MUST write something deep or significant. But then I read my other friend's blogs and I find depth and significance in what they write just about themselves. Not that anyone would find the same thing here.

So here goes!

My life is changing. My surroundings. My friends. It happens. I've been surprised by change, but also have come to expect it. Sometimes I accept it and sometimes I fight it.

I fought my son moving out of our house. I knew it was coming. We have always butted heads and living together was so much tension. We love each other, but seemed to always get in each other's way. When he moved out, it was not out of anger or because of disagreements. I am so grateful for that. I wasn't thrilled that he was moving in with a girl, but I wasn't surprised either. I refused to be the parent who says, "If you walk out that door....don't come back."

I love my son and I wanted our relationship to remain, no matter how tense it could be.

This has been a good change in some ways. I have seen him mature in many ways. He now lives by himself. I pray for him daily and ask God to help him make smart choices. I know at times he will not....after all, not all of my choices at 18 were smart. Some of them were downright idiotic.

He has maintained employment for about 5 years. A paper route, Dairy Queen, Arby's, Joanne Etc., and now R Pizza. And I feel for someone of his age, that this is an accomplishment and I am proud of him.

So anyway, that's one change.

Early in the mornings, at 7:30 a group of children wait on the corner near our house for the school bus to the high school and middle school. I use to be able to look out a window and watch Olivia and Nick walk there, backpacks on their backs or in their hands, and stand and wait. Now they are no longer there. Both have not graduated from school and are working through an online high school to get their diplomas.

We have come full circle.

We homeschooled them both until they were in 3rd grade and then put them in public school, realizing that we did not have the knowledge needed to continue.

But now, with online schools, they really can be self-taught.

I know so many who shake their heads in disapproval. What about their socialization. My children do not live on a compound in Waco, Texas. They have more socialization than sometimes in needed. Besides, they don't need socialization in school as much as they need to focus on academics. It's just NOT an issue.

So there are times, I feel a slight.....really slight twinge of "awwww." You know; missing the days when they were young, going to the bus stop, playing. I may experience more of that when they are both out of the house. Right now, I'm enjoying the sense of freedom. I don't have to find a babysitter every time I want to do things with my friends....and Oh yeah...I can do things with my friends!

Another change: Saying good bye to some friends who are pursuing the mission field. And although they were in my life for a short time, I so enjoyed their friendship, even if it wasn't as close as I would have liked it. They are much younger than I, but really made an impression. I wish them Godspeed and blessing. Can't wait to hear how California is for them and then France! I wish I could throw tons of money their way to help them. (sigh)

Another great change is the beginnings of a "creative community". My friends, Amy, Sherri, John and I have been meeting on a regular basis and talking about working with local creative people; to help them get out in the community and become known and be encouraged in the the creative person that God has meant for them to be.

From visual artists, to writers, actors, singers, musicians, inventors, seamstresses, dancers, film makers, entrepreneurs, etc.; we want to see people being who God intended them to be.

It seems since we have been getting together that there have been other clusters of people getting together and talking about moving out into areas of their creative gifts that perhaps they didn't have the motivation to in the past. I am anticipating some incredible things as I look to the future of what God will be "creating" in individual's lives and in this area.

We will be hosting a workshop/conference weekend in March for people who are interested in seeing what's happening and I am very excited about it.

So...here I am. It's just me and what's happening here. I hope I didn't bore you too much. So what's happening with you?