It ended up being a long day, but a very worthwhile day heading all the way to what they call "The West Coast of Ontario"! It was a long drive! However, a privilege to meet more young moms all looking to run a smoother household.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I had prepped my daughter who was staying behind to "be the oldest girl while I was gone". She immediately told me that she would be sure to tell me all the bad things the 5 year old did while I was away. I said, "No, no, no! Try to keep track of all the good things he does!" "Oh! That would be much more encouraging," she said. "Yes!" I was relieved to see she understood. But.... when I came home, she ran up to me. She just couldn't help herself, I guess. She had made a chart. It was a "Jonas Book". In it she had put little filled-in circles for every bad thing he did and empty circles for every good thing he did. Unfortunately, he had a lot of black filled-in circles....! She said he did do one good thing, whatever that was! So she kind of did what I said....? Somehow they managed while I was gone..... it's definitely their part in helping me run the seminars.
RM managed to side another part of the house, so only one section left! After that, he'll move on to the front part of the house (so far it's only been the back part). It does seem warmer in here though!
Exciting news with our oldest daughter and an answer to prayer - she got a job teaching gr. 1-4 children in my younger sister's homeschool co-op. Once a week she'll go in for the morning and teach whatever subject they would like her to cover starting in January. It's a paid position and is going to be great experience for her as there will be about 9 kids in the class with varying skills and ages. Her days and weeks are just filling up with opportunities. I was able to use her as an example of what a chore system can do! It sounds funny, but one of the things I shared with the women on Saturday is the lifetime benefits of chores. If they are learning chores from a young age, then they will develop a work ethic that ultimately an employer will see and they will be the ones who get hired right away. My oldest daughter has been the one to lead the way in our family with her work ethic. When we first started doing the chore system she bought into it right away. She loved it! I'm quite convinced that it helped develop her good work ethic and helped her get this job. I don't think that is a stretch to think that at all and I told the women I believe it is a direct result of doing chores her whole life that she got hired! In fact, I think it has helped her accomplish other things in her short span of life that made my sister quite willing to consider hiring her and gave her confidence in bringing her resume to the other moms as the new potential teacher.
It was an encouragement even to me as I talk about these lifetime benefits of chores, but now, having done this system for 9 years, I'm truly seeing the results. I praise God for chores! For the Maxwells for creating the system! I know we don't need any system to learn how to do work - work has been from the beginning of time even in the Garden of Eden. Adam was put in there to dress the garden, but I do love systems. I love having things put in a nice little package for me. And that's what the Maxwells have done. I'm grateful as I'm now seeing the wonderful results and this allows me to really speak to the women with confidence as well - teaching our children to work will bring blessing! Guaranteed! I'm living proof!
You'll never believe this, but 40 days from now it will be Christmas Day.... can you believe that?! I feel like summer just ended! I counted back 40 days from the 25th very intentionally and decided I would try to prepare myself spiritually for the 40 days. Then, of course, I presented the idea to the family and they're all in. Each of us are doing something for the next 40 days. It isn't Lent, but just a time where we are going to commit to doing something hard, making a sacrifice, something different for each one of us. My husband and I are committed to an earlier wake up which is very hard for my husband (easier for me). We are planning to pray about many things, including our debt reduction plan, our children, his work. Some of the kids might not get up as early, but they've agreed to an earlier wake up as well. I've asked them to consider reading throughout the 40 days a more theologically heavy book as a challenge instead of the light reading they love (a comic book?!). So each one is picking either a C.S. Lewis book or a biography like the one we have on David Brainerd. I think they are ready to start reading books like that on a regular basis. It's all about appetites, so I'm trying to feed that type of reading as a better appetite than just the light stuff all the time.
We're taking this 40 days seriously as we are continuing to feel the bondage and the impact it is having on us. We are coming before the Lord yet again asking for a plan, for freedom, for wisdom. We talked about Christmas as a family and once again, to my amazement, the children know there will be no gifts. It makes no sense to buy things we cannot afford. To go into debt to put things on our shelf that will be broken or lost in a few days after Christmas also makes no sense. The kids didn't even flinch to my relief. However, once again, I will decorate, I will bake, I will go to as many Christmas-y events (the free ones!) because I do love the season so much - we all do. In fact, I'm considering decorating really soon and stretching the season even longer. I am going to celebrate Christ's birth - I just don't have to do it the way the world does. I can therefore go into this season with true joy and anticipation whereas in other years, I dreaded it as I knew I somehow had to find a way to pay for it all. I knew I had to find the time to shop -how? I knew I had to buy soooo many gifts for all the kids as I could never stop at just one...... The burden off of me is so great, I can't begin to explain.
Too funny, my big boys just walked in...."I can't even see," my oldest one said....I guess he's not used to the early hour.... may God bless them for their commitment. "It's going to change your life... it's going to change your life," I tried to encourage the other one. "Uh huh....." he mumbled back. I pray God gives them insight and endurance and all the other spiritual blessings that come when you pursue God on a deeper level. I'm trying to get them to learn to love coffee.... maybe this will be what it takes.....
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