Flying By the Seat of My Pants

It's amazing to me how God uses certain things to spur us on to better things.

It finally hit me. Everyone talking about finishing up their year and planning for next year. My decision to go year round seemed a little more than daunting, and certain regrets have crept in. I realized that I don't care for the idea of not having an end...and not having a fresh beginning.

Suddenly, I'm motivated. But we've taken our time this year. We haven't rushed. We've done very well...and we haven't. I feel behind and haven't been able to even imagine an end in sight.

I like a big picture. I know that about myself, but for some reason, I haven't given myself one and have found myself floundering. I don't like floundering.

I just read a great series from SCM talking about long term planning. Then another great bolt of lightning hit me. I...me...the planner...has no plan! No big picture. I visited Donna and printed out some blank planners and started filling in columns for son's remaining school years and subjects. I wrote in what would happen when, and what materials or curriculums I thought I'd use. I now have a big picture. I have to say, it's very freeing and it's so nice looking at when we're going to do state history, composition, and biology. It's nice having a plan, regardless of whether that plan will change.

After I finished the Big picture, I started a weekly (broken down into days) plan for finishing what we've started with the objective of finding an end to our year; a completion. A jumping off place. A bench mark. Is that enough figures of speech!! :)

I thought we'd be able to finish our "year" before nice weather; REALLY nice weather. We're not. It looks like we're going to go through June. This is going to be the year Mommy messed up with the schedule, but it won't happen again. I've learned my lesson. So we'll be schooling AND gardening at the same time this year. It's going to be a lot of work. But for some reason, I don't think it'll be a bad thing. I'm looking forward to it because I'm looking forward to following a plan.

So far, this week has been one victory after another. We've revisited our "Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day" which we left half done back in Sept or Oct (even though we absolutely loved it!). We've picked up our "Burgess Bird Book" which we were reading aloud (and also totally loved), along with our bird study. It had also been abandoned. We've bumped up the pace on our "Truthquest History" and "A Child's Geography". We've become more focused on our notebooking than we have been for quite awhile. And, last but not least, we're doing it all per a plan that actually has an end goal that is not too far from sight.

I think again about focusing on the things that God accomplishes, rather than what I accomplish, and I remember that He is still doing a great work within me. He's building me up, providing me with the means to do the job put before me, and He's preparing me for what comes next. God's Providence again and again.

As we've started our days earlier, worked a little harder, and a little longer, we've had a coming together in regards to study habits, scheduling, and even our meal time. Momentum will be our enemy or our friend. I'm sure we'll have both good days and bad, but for now there is only one other thing I have to think about...

There's just 3 days left till the convention!