The old lady in the room !

Plink...plop....plinkity plop....
   That, my friends, is the sound of my brain cells falling out over the past sixteen years, nine months.  All you mother's out there can relate to the "forgetfulness" that prevails with pregnancy, yet I have found that it has continued well into the teen years of raising our boys.   That is why there has been fear and trepidation in my life whenever I considered going back to school.
  I did it !  After weeks of trying to get registered online and let's face it a bit of dragging my feet, I drove up to the school yesterday for my first official class.  As I drove around looking for a parking space, here and there I weaved through the sea of still cars, saying a prayer to God, asking, "is this the sign that I should not be here, that you have closed the door on this new chapter?"  Then, there was an open spot, one where I could make a quick get away afterward !    Slowly I made my way into the building, my heart, somewhat pounding, praying all the way.  I went into the room and it was a joy to see other "older" people, only one or two and  I am sure I am the oldest in the class.  That is fine because hopefully with age, I have become a bit more wise.  The teacher, professor, I am not quite sure how to address him yet, passed out the syllabus and a paper asking about our musical background and what our goals were with music.  I delved into the depths of my purse to grab a pen and started to write my answers.  I took a deep breath to try and calm my hand that was shaking as though it were a leaf in the breeze on an autumn day and began writing.
   As I thought about how the first class may play out, I figured it was a college class and they are not going to want to hear anything about us.  I was wrong....  The teacher wanted to know why we were in the class.  I sat there thinking "Oh great, really!  I have to speak on the first day, in front of everyone!".    Many people were in there because they had taught themselves guitar and wanted some musical knowledge.  One student said he had the knowledge but was just getting back into school and wanted to get his feet wet in a subject that he could handle.  Same here!  I told them I was involved in two choirs, study voice privately, and am going to be working toward a music degree.  Wow, I said it out loud to people other than my family and my voice teacher !  Overall it was a good day in class, I didn't die, I didn't break into tears, and I even gave the sniffly kid in front of me a tissue.  (He probably thought, oh great what's with this old lady :0)  )
  This is going to be a new adventure in our lives, especially mine !  I am looking forward to it and what God has in store for me.

TTFN, Margaret

Just a mom....

  I was listening to the radio in the car after dropping our youngest off at his first day of "school" last week.  As I started the car and got on the road, I turned on Focus on the Family.  There was a woman who was talking about motherhood and how we look at it as more of a chore than anything.  She started talking about how when someone would ask her what she did, she would say "I am just a mom".
  How many times have I done that.  Said, "I am just a mom" or thought those very words silently to myself,  as if it were a bad thing.  You see, as an adolescent,  I had all these grand ideas of what I was going to be and do when I grew up, but God definitely had a different idea for my life.  For sixteen years I have been a mom, the hardest job I have ever or will ever do, also the most rewarding.  God makes no mistakes and in His sovereignty He put this family together.  God knows me so well, that He gave me all boys.  Oh, don't get me wrong, there are times that I feel as though I am the one person in the history of man that God decided to play a joke on by giving me three, completely and utterly different boys !
   Being a mom is more than just changing diapers and providing meals.  It about instilling God's truth in our children, teaching right from wrong, teaching them to love and care for others, to respect others.  Teaching them to respect authority.  Not to mention, as a home school family, the educational side of it.  Who can forget attempting to instill responsibility.  
   I am a mom and it is the most important thing I will ever attempt in life.    When I look at my children, I am happy to be just a mom.  They are great boys, not perfect mind you, but they are good kids that have good hearts.  God is working on them just as He is on me, and I, as a mother, need to keep that in mind.
 
   For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   Eph. 2:10

My baby !

  August 12, 1996, we welcomed our first born into this world.  In a way it seems so long ago but on the other hand it seems like a short time ago.   I had never babysat when I was younger, I was the youngest child, so there were no siblings for me to run after and help with.  I was at a loss when I gave birth to one of the most precious things in my life.  Thankfully, all of our children were huge babies !  I was scared of babies as it was,  but if I had, had a petite, little, five pounder, Yikes !  Those that know me know I am not the most graceful and having a tiny bundle would have made me absolutely a wreck.
  Little pig number one is such a joy to me !  There have been bumps along the road, what parent doesn't experience that, but seeing the young man he is becoming is very exciting.  Yes, he could be more responsible, and work a bit harder, but he does have compassion for people.  He's a guy, so of course that character trait isn't always at the forefront as "the ladies love me" comments are that I often hear......  It is in there though.  Our oldest would go out of his way to help anyone and I appreciate that about him.
  It will be neat to see what the Lord has for him in the future, as much as we think we have it all figured out, God knows the plans that He has for us and my prayer is that Number one will seek Him first ( and of course be nice to his brothers ;0)   )

Lord bless !

TTFN,
Margaret

What am I thinking !

  For awhile I have had the feeling I should start classes.  I have prayed consistently about this and am just trying to seek the Lord in it all because to me, this is a huge step.  My family is absolutely my first priority ( and of course my relationship with the Lord) so when I first started thinking about this, my initial reaction was no way, I won't have time for studying because I have to take care of my husband, kids, house, etc.  I kept praying about it and God just kept giving me a peace about it.  All of the things that He knows about me and all of the things I brought to Him.
  " I'm not smart enough, the brain cells have died away during this motherhood gig. :0)  I am not organized enough, I can't even find what my kids need half the time, let alone what I need.  (that causes a lot of stress !)  When I start something, don't bug me !  God has definitely been working on this one in me, thank goodness !  Things will get done even with interruptions.  There are so many other things !  Then, in talking to one of my friends about this, she even said to me when she was in school and she was pursuing her degree, when the older woman was in class she would think to herself, "what is she doing here".  Well I will be the old woman in the class, but that's okay.  I know that I am more wise than I was twenty-two years ago when I went to college, and that I am so grateful for !
  If this goes through, maybe I should name my blog "The Old Lady in the Room" as I expound on the happenings of me in a college classroom ;0)

Have a blessed day !

TTFN