Ten Ways To Destroy the Imagination of Your Child

It has been a long time since I've read a book that has challenged me so. I don't know who Anthony Esolen is but I suspect our theology is a bit different. For several reasons, his book on parenting has kept me awake recently.

The style- 

I'm sure there is a literary term for the style of the book, but I don't know what it is, however, the title kind of gives it away. It is written in the opposite of what would actually be helpful to training a child. So when the author says to keep your child indoors all of the time, he actually means to keep them outside. Having so many things written in the negative, I have to stay on guard while I'm reading, asking myself, "Is this what he thinks parents should or should not do?"

The subject-

The author deals with serious pieces of literature, works of art, many languages, random types of government, and scientific methods. He gives a complete run down on how a car works using words like - cylinders, differential, universal joint. He introduces Greek gods and obscure characters in literature like they are well known friends. He discusses poetry of every genre, Augustine, and Scripture alongside Chopin and Beethoven. He makes a fine argument against organized sports and programs, but for gangs of kids playing in the streets. My brain is stretched! 

The guilt- 

I should have been doing some of this all along. Sometimes I mourn for the older girls' losses because of my lack of wisdom. As a parent, I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. I know that God takes us where we are and uses us in His own plan, but I do wish I hadn't been so ignorant when Rachel was born. I nearly starved the poor child and then gave her straight apple juice out of a bottle. God's grace and mercy to us is so obvious through those days. Now, I haven't near the wisdom that I need to continue parenting, but at least I know that I don't know what I'm doing.

*Don't worry, I'm not about to sit Abigail out the back door and make her stay for twelve hours on her own, nor am I removing her from her formal music lessons. I can't throw all safety to the wind but I am trying to consciously build her imagination.

Sarah's Birthday

I went to Sarah's Facebook to find her twenty-first birthday pictures, but this is what I found. She is loving life and living it as much as possible. She is thrilled to be in the EMT training program and can't wait to get to work.

Sarah had been sick for a week with a sinus infection, she passed out in class and I had to come drive her home. The next morning I took her to urgent care, but she wouldn't go home until she had voted.  Walking out of the voter's booth she said, "People are gonna do what they want to do." She lives this out  completely in every area of her life. 

The Spartan Race was supposed to be training run for a half marathon that she would be doing in the  next few weeks. But since she had been so sick, the goal was to finish. Not only did she finish, she had an amazing time and was able to take this beautiful picture.

Here she is on torture hill in the Oak Barrel Half Marathon. She's not afraid to push herself.

Here We Are Again

Chik-Fil-A is fun at the games too.

I fought it, sinfully, fought it. I didn't want to start basketball again so soon. I complained and whined because I wanted to wait. I wanted another year to do other things, but here we are playing basketball, again, ... and I'm loving it.  Lydia is in the fifth grade and is playing on the middle school team at the same school that the other girls played.  Her coach is one the coaches that Sarah always had and she even gave Lydia Sarah's number. Now we sit in the bleachers and cheer her on and enjoy every game. Yes, it's long and tiring, but the schedule isn't as rigorous as varsity and she is having a great time. And I'm glad we started back this year. So for those of you that heard me complaining and whining, I'm sorry, please forgive me.

Lydia came home from basketball practice the other day and said, "After scrimmaging against the boys at practice I have come to a decision. I am NEVER getting married!"

How's life without all the sports going?

Coming to grips with that question, I realized a few things. Life is busy all the time, with or without added activities and sports. So, if you don't have to drive to practices and games every day, something else will fill that gap quickly. But I also realized that homeschool is really nicely done at - well.... home. It's amazing what children can learn when I'm at home with them and they are at home relaxed and ready to learn. I think it comes about because I'm not always preparing to leave the house for the next event. I'm sure that's coming again soon because Lydia really wants to play basketball, but for now, I'm enjoying homeschool.

Highlights from this week's school have included:

• healthy debates on whether or not Jim Elliot was waiting on God to lead him to marry Elisabeth or if he was just being a dumb guy.
• learning all five of the basic biomes, again, for the fourth time, only this time, Lydia got to draw them.
• real life daily scripture memory, every day.
• actually singing the preposition song, not just looking at it and saying, "oh that's nice, move on."
• Ray reading a book to us every morning at breakfast.
• the girls asking if we could just keep on having devotions.
• actually cooking from real recipes and not throwing random casseroles together. (Okay, that's not homeschool, but it sure is nice since I'm at home more.)

I'm enjoying homeschool so much, who knows, I might even have the girls try to make a diorama this year. It might have been about thirteen years since we've actually tried that!

Sarah Goes to Portland

Sarah's first short term mission trip seemed to be a great experience for her. Here is a note from her:

"Throughout the week we helped a church plant in Clackamas, Oregon. On Sunday morning, we helped them set up church and that night we went to worship at a Hispanic church's first ever service in Vancouver, Washington. Monday through Thursday we had basketball camp every morning. We taught them different skills in each station and at the end of the day they learned the gospel. Two thirds of the kids there were not in a church and I'm very thankful to have been a part of those kids hearing the gospel. In the afternoons we canvassed different areas of Portland and took notes on the culture and lifestyle of those who lived there. This is part of the ground work being done to prepare for more permanent missionaries or church planters that will come to live there. In the afternoons we did a lot of praying for the lost in the city. It is a little overwhelming when you actually see how blind the people living there are. When I asked one lady at a bakery what she thought of the "spiritual climate" in her area she said she hadn't grown up in a religious household and that she didn't really know what she thought- she'd never really thought about it. The way she talked was completely foreign to me... she didn't care at all. Everyone I've ever talked to about spiritual things either were clearly against it or were professing Christians. She could care less either way. I saw how dead in her sin she was and it struck me that I was once that way. It made me so thankful for the Lord softening my heart. Otherwise, I would still be just like her- blind and dead in sin. I am still praying for Portland and Trinity Church there. It's a lost place in serious need of the gospel."

Some highlighted pictures from a wonderful trip.

Sarah's first ever plane trip.

She fell in love with some sweet little girls.

White water rafting was so much fun.

The whole group out to eat.

Multnomah Falls and the mountains in the western US were quite impressive to Sarah.

Sarah lead a ball handling station.

Friendship are forged when you spend hours together for the gospel.

Will to Change

Considering sports again, I need to change. It's easy to say now that most sports are over for a while that I'll do better. I don't know how many times I've left from a game irritated with myself for my behavior, complaining about a call or getting mad about a play, something like that.  I have come a long way from yelling at a referee to sitting on my hands and biting my tongue to keep quiet. But my heart still will rise up inside of me.

I have to battle my own will to change. Reading Idols of the Heart I was convicted in this area again. But according to Ephesians 4:22-24, I am a new creature, I can change my behavior. It's called sanctification. 

It is a purposeful-

• putting off the old behavior
• changing attitudes to be in line with what's right
• and putting on the new behavior.

We'll see how much my heart has learned this Fall when basketball starts back...

Sarah Signs

Sarah finally decided to accept a scholarship to play basketball at Truett-McConnell College this fall. We were especially excited that they gave her the number she always had. Our family is pictured above with her three most influential coaches and a great athletic director at North Georgia Christian School.

Sports

The sports banquet  was last night and it ended a whirlwind four days for Sarah and our family. She was honored with best offensive awards in soccer and basketball, but the best of all was female athlete of the year.  That is given to the student who excels in sports, athletics and character and it is chosen by the faculty , staff, and coaches. We were so thrilled for her.

The camaraderie of these girls on the basketball team is so very sweet.  I love the joy they share with one another . 

Sarah's soccer team wasn't supposed to make it to the playoffs at all, but they kept winning.  They played a very talented team at the state championship and lost. Here is just a snapshot of the team they played on Monday night, Sarah was about to be slide tackled. These girls knew every trick and used it.

The picture on the left is a collage of some of the injuries Sarah received this year in soccer. And the picture on the right is her with some friends walking away from the field for the last time as players. Yes, we all shed a few tears.

This is us how Sarah feels after finishing up her schoolwork.

We have been crazy busy getting things ready for graduation. Her soccer team surprised us and kept winning and advancing through the playoffs. Now they are set to play in the state championship on Monday. Originally, it was tomorrow - which is also happens to be the day of the prom that she is planning to attend. Yes, that was a logistical nightmare. But, thankfully, because of weather, it has been rescheduled. So I am still checking off 

By the way, Yonderchild Media is the team to call for the best pictures!

Fulfilled Promise

Last Summer, when we went on vacation to Daytona Beach we toured Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory and saw a chocolate basketball in the window. I told Sarah that if she got cleared to play basketball, played the whole season without getting hurt and her team went to state, that I would buy a chocolate basketball for them. The other moms pitched in for it and goodie baskets and we cut it together at the tournament. It was beautiful and delicious! If you need any custom chocolate, call them.

It was an emotional weekend for me to see Sarah finish her basketball career with such an exciting end.  I didn't fully understand what the ending would be like when Rachel finished her basketball career, and  Hannah's last season was crazy busy! This week, we have spent some time thanking God for healing Sarah from her concussions last year and allowing her to go back to the game she loves for another year. I am so proud of her and her team. And so very glad that our family got to share this time with her.

State Champions 2013

The fans got a little rowdy.

I love that they hold hands and pray like this before every game.

Sarah shot 13 of 15 free throws and had a great game earning the tournament MVP for the girls in her division.

Let the celebrations begin!

I love this picture! This was taken the moment the buzzer went off, because the game was that close. They won by two.

Senior Night

The senior activities have begun. This week, we had the planning session to get ready for graduation and got some things done on the college process.

Basketball is still happening and Sarah definitely did not touch that ball.

Coach Jenny is still trying to keep Sarah's head on straight, but it's a hard job. Sarah still struggles some with headaches, but does okay as long as she gets plenty of sleep.

Sarah's friendship with all of the girls on her team is so sweet. I am thankful that God has allowed her this season of life.

And, as usual, Abigail just couldn't be left on the sidelines.

Go Dawgs

The few times that I've glanced at sports blogs and articles, I have been amazed at how committed to sports some people are. It seems that sports is their entire life. I can't understand how intense people can get over what appear to be small issues. I'm not talking about those guys who are coaches, sports writers and stuff, but the regular 'joes' of life who get all worked up over every bad play or call. Saying that, you must know that we are big fans of Georgia football, some of us here maybe even a little fanatical. Sarah plans her fall Saturdays strategically to be as close as possible to the television, and Ray, well let's just leave it at- sometimes he's a little fanatical too.

Enter the bowl season of college football. Some friends bought tickets to the Capital One/Citrus Bowl thinking their team would be going. It turned out that Georgia was going instead and they didn't really want to anymore. Their family chose to bless us tremendously by giving us the tickets! And....we got a little fanatical...

 

But not too much so.  This is when Abigail and Lydia were recovering from the flu and Mary was beginning the battle.

And the laundry lint has been all red.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

 Sarah got three fouls called on her in the first quarter. Here she ended up under a pile with her hands up to prove to the refs that she is innocent so she wouldn't get a another foul called on her.

 The succession of these two pictures is great. The top one shows her blocking a pass and the bottom one is of her (you see mostly ponytail flying) taking it down the court for a layup. 

Basketball can be really fun, and I love to watch these kids give everything they've got. When I asked them before who they were playing for, they answered, "For God's glory." That's why it's a joy to me.

Basketball Tournament

Basketball tournaments are grueling, for the players, coaches and fans. There are games going on multiple courts, whistles and buzzers constantly sounding out. There is a lot of walking outside to get a breath of fresh air and bites to eat, and even the most prepared families eat a lot of junk food. Sarah's team played six games in about twenty-four hours and they were all pushed to their limits. It's also a time when players and referees get really tired and make mistakes.

It was bound to happen, but we just didn't know when. During the forth game of the day Sarah was hit hard in the head and went down fast. She didn't move and, to me, it felt like the air was sucked out of the gym. Her coach was on the floor and by her side immediately. Being the parents of athletes, we knew it wouldn't be cool for us to run out on the court, so Ray and I just stood at the sideline. As the coached helped Sarah up and to the bench I trotted around the court, because I'm also the mom who doesn't really care about being cool. Sarah was stunned a bit and had a headache, but she was still able to focus and not dizzy at all. This morning she has a pretty bad headache and is covered in bruises, as I'm sure the rest of the players are too. 

I know I'll be a little nervous every time she plays, but I hope I won't panic so much the next time. Her head is in God's hands and He is the Great Protector. I can't make her live in a bubble to keep her, or any of my children for that matter, from ever getting hurt.

Sarah's team won second and she was named to the all tournament team, which means she and her teammates played great!

She's Back!

After battling the effects of multiple concussions and skipping all sports for a year, Sarah is back on the basketball court. The games started last week and Sarah seems to be doing great. We are so grateful to God for His healing hand on her and sustaining her through a very long year of very limited exercise. She worked hard to get back in shape and catch up on lost time in her school work and is on schedule to graduate right on time. The original story is here and an update after six weeks is here.