We are Versatile

Versatility is a great thing for a girl to have.The picture above is a small illustration of how our household often runs. We seem to be from one extreme to the other. Last Friday night was homecoming at the school where Rachel graduated from last year. She was turning over the homecoming crown to the new queen and while the next basketball game was about to start she played a little pick up game with some of the kids at school.

Our girls are constantly moving from school and reading to piano and violin to crocheting and basketball or baking and animal care. My head spins some days at all that they are involved in, but when I see pictures like this I am thankful. A family joke is that I want everyone to sit around here and do nothing but sew and speak Latin to each other while we all listen to classical music. There are moments when I really wish that, but then I know that the girls would not be nearly as interesting as they are. Ray sets the example around here by having several jobs himself. He moves from pastoring to writing to selling Christian books to coaching basketball to itinerant conference preaching.

I often question whether it is wise to be involved in so many things, but there are some advantages. While it is difficult to keep a steady schedule, we are never bogged down in a routine for too long. Don't get me wrong, I really like routine and would settle into one gladly. Another benefit is that the girls have a lot of experiences to shape their character and we get to be involved with them. There are so many times conversations start off, "Remember that time..." Then we have a great opportunity to build on what was learned. (Sadly we don't always seize on the moment.)

A huge blessing that comes from our varied lifestyle is that the girls have several things they are learning that can be useful to them as wives and homemakers. I can see them teaching music lessons, cooking or catering in a variety of ways, caring for animals, tutoring in many subjects, or doing computer work. Right now Rachel is working for our family teaching science, teaching another child piano (who she thinks is the cutest kid in the world), and assistant coaching basketball. She is still learning the violin and Spanish and looking forward to going on more mission trips and having her own home and family one day.