School day

So, today was the first day of "school" for Michael and Sam. As most everyone knows, I have been homeschooling both boys this year. Well, I was able to join a great homeschool support group here in the area. I have been amazed to see the number of wonderful Christian families homeschooling here. I guess I have always heard that Washington is a bunch of crazy liberals. To be honest, I've met more homeschooling families here than any other place I've lived. Maybe it is just because I am seeking them out now! Anyway, I have been very pleasantly surprised. I went to my first support group on Tuesday of last week and met several other moms just like me! Several of them raved about a program offered at a church about 2 minutes from where we live. I found the info for it online and immediately emailed the lady who runs it for info. She responded right away and said that we can jump right in. It is called Homebased and meets on Mondays from 9am-12:30pm. I got permission to come by today and get the boys signed right up. They were so excited to go to "school" and were thrilled to take their lunch boxes as they eat lunch there. The program is really big and it is packed with fun stuff! They do PE, music, arts and crafts, and Science together with their age groups. When the 2nd Semester starts at the beginning of the new year, they will focus on history/geography instead of Science. It has been a wonderful blessing to get to meet so many other wonderful families who share our burdens and beliefs, especially with Marvin gone as much as he is. The boys are making friends and I am finding great support and friendship as well! We have not yet decided on a church. We think we get it down and then find out about another great one to visit. I think we are just gonna have to stop visiting new ones and pick already, there are so many that are really on fire for God and are eager to serve Him. I truly thought it would be a drought here and finding a church very difficult. It has been truly the opposite, we feel it is just flooding over! What a testament to God and His living, breathing Spirit. He is reminding me through other blogs and quiet time that there is so much in my life to be thankful for. The great thing, however, is that He takes the good stuff and the bad stuff and, if I am a willing vessel, brings Glory from them all. That is my prayer this week. I want to stay focused on my God and live to bring Glory to Him through all the circumstances in my life. I am truly blown away by the love He has so freely given and painfully expressed. If I had nothing else in this world, that would still be so much more than I could ask!