Monday Manna

Today is just a regular ol' Monday.  And I like it!  We've been struggling to get our stride with homeschooling and I'm really hoping today is the day we click.  I try to tell the girls that when their work is all squared away, we have more time for fun stuff, but they aren't buying it!

I'm thankful for...
Autumn like days.  There's something about the crispness in the air.  I just love this season.  It's the time of year when the earth begins to rest.  It's a reminder that we can't run on "summer" all the time.  There's a time to slow down, and be still.

To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under Heaven.
Ecclesiasteas 3:1 (NKJV)

God moment...
Yesterday we sang "American the Beautiful" in church.  It was fitting, with the 10 year anniversary of September 11th.  I just love the second verse of this song: 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

This verse pleads with God to fix what is wrong in our nation.  It was true when this song was written in 1895, and it's true now; only God can fix what's wrong with America.  And note how it's to be done:  through self-control.  What a great reminder to each one of us as to how we should live.

Work for home...
Our home is a mess.  There are some rooms I don't even want to be in.  A few of our friends have moved lately and it just reminds me what a burden it would be if we were to move.  It's time to purge the extras.  We've been blessed.  Now it's time to pass the blessings on!

Work for work...
I finished so many of my Monday tasks before 5am, so I'm hoping for continued productivity this week!  Really looking forward to getting some creative time going with the Family Life Morning Show on Wednesday.

Craft time...
Emily has wanted to make some jewelry for a few weeks.  I've been telling her we can do that, when she gets caught up on school.  We've put a plan in place to make that happen, so hopefully by Friday my girlie and I can be making some earrings and bracelets.  (A mama can dream!)

Go, Mom, go!

My favorite photo...
This is my mom's calling card.  When she goes for a bike ride in the early morning and stops by our house, she draws herself in chalk.  It's her way of saying "I was here...it didn't look like you were awake, so I kept on peddling."  When we finally get ready to go out and I see this on the driveway, it puts a smile on my face!