Walk By Faith

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Lord reminded me of this verse this morning when I received an unexpected phone call. On Monday I had gone for my annual mammogram. I was told that if there were any issues with reading the films I would hear back in a couple days. This morning as I walked with my walking partner I shared that I guess everything went okay because I hadn't heard anything from the clinic. Within minutes after returning home from exercising I had a call from the health center stating that I needed to come back in for additional x-rays.

I must admit that a small part is apprehensive since both my mother and maternal grandmother were diagnosed with breast cancer within months of each other. They both made it through treatments and are cancer free today. So on Friday I face yet another mammogram.

I am choosing to walk in faith and not by sight. I know that there is no guarantee that I will get the all clear, but I know that I serve a Heavenly Father that I can trust. If for some reason I face cancer in my future, I know that it is part of God's plan for my life and He will help me each step of the way. What a reassurance I have that what comes into my life is filtered through His hands when I am choosing to follow and serve Him.

Take Time for Rest

Last night I was telling my husband how tired I have been lately. Our schedule has been pretty intense the past couple weeks. I have felt overwhelmed with all that needs to get accomplished. When I have too many things I'm trying to do and am not getting enough rest, my body responds with headaches and chest pains. Each day for the past couple weeks I have been experiencing at least one of those symptoms.

As I was conversing with my hubby I realized that I have been trying to do too many things lately. They have all been good things, but I just can't do it all. You think I would realize that by now! :) It seems that whenever I have too many days of having to be away from the home because of various activities, my body responds accordingly.

Today God has been whispering to me the need to slow down and that there are times when I need to say no, even when it is a good activity. God made a point of resting on the seventh day after He created the world. Jesus often made a point of getting away from the crowds for some time of rest.

This afternoon my time of rest will include our annual Fall hike to the mountains. Ever since our boys were tiny, we have tried each year to go to the mountains once the leaves start changing colors. Many years we have collected a variety of leaves and then came home and made festive place mats. We take a picnic supper to enjoy before we do some hiking together. It is an event that we all look forward to doing.

It will be a shorter trip this year because my husband still has been experiencing back problems and won't be able to walk very far. It also is starting to get dark quicker, so our time will be limited. But I look forward to glorying in God's presence and the beauty of His nature. When we return home the guys will be having a special "guys" movie night. I hope to just have some down time and get caught up with things that have been weighing on me.

I plan to look at my schedule and see where I can carve times of rest into each week - perhaps even each day. How are you doing with having a time of rest? Are there some areas that you need to change in your life?

Good Samaritan

On Saturday my husband and I were able to attend Homecoming festivities at the college where we graduated. It was easy to do that since we live in the same town as the college. Our boys were busy serving at a local camp for the day so we had the day to ourselves.

After enjoying the free breakfast, watching the homecoming parade, taking part in some tailgating activities, we decided to stop for lunch at the Chick-fil-A which had recently opened on campus. We entered the food line and reminisced about the "good old days". We picked out two sandwiches and a large waffle fries and placed it on the tray and then went to the register to check out.

My husband pulled out his wallet and discovered that he had not brought along the type of credit card that we needed to pay for our food. We had no cash, and I had left my wallet at home. We did not even have a MAC card. Of course we were a little flustered, but said that we would just have to put the food back since we were unable to pay for it. To our surprise the cashier piped up and said that she could cover it for us. My husband had mentioned that he works on campus. She told him that he should just come over on Monday and pay her what we owed.

We were shocked by her generosity. She had no guarantee that my husband would actually pay her back, she just did it for us with good faith that we would pay her back. (We did go back home immediately and got the money and paid her right away). God used this cashier - Molly - to speak to my heart. God reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan. Molly did not know us, but she still chose to help us out. She performed an act of kindness for us and we were truly blessed by it.

When was the last time you performed a random act of kindness for someone you know, or for a complete stranger? There are many ideas of things that you can do: pay for the person's meal behind you as you go through the drive-thru; rake leaves for a neighbor, write a note of encouragement, take a meal to a shut-in, take a basket of goodies to a local business and let them know how much you appreciate them... The list goes on and on of ideas of how we can be a Good Samaritan in someone's life. Ask God this week to show you someone that He would like you to minister to. He will point out someone and will also give you an idea of what you can do to be a blessing to that person.

Holding Hands

Hebrews 8:9-10 "It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

This scripture was part of my devotion reading this morning. I was struck by the phrase, "when I took them by the hand." I thought this was an awesome picture of how God leads us if we allow Him to do so. The more I thought about this image, the Lord reminded me of when I was a senior in college. I was involved in a Christian fellowship group on campus and was growing tremendously in my spiritual walk, was recently engaged, and felt very close to the Lord. One day as I walked to campus and attended my classes I could definitely feel God's presence with me in a physical way. I even could feel His touch as He held my hand. It was something I had never experienced before.

There have been other times in my life when I have been very much aware of God's presence in my life. I remember the unexplainable peace God filled me with as my husband and I watched our then five-year-old son being lifted into a helicopter to be rushed to Hershey Medical Center after he fell from his bunk bed and completely fractured his spleen. As he left we did not know if he would be alive, in surgery, or what would happen to him. But as the helicopter prepared to take off I had an overwhelming sense that no matter what happened (whether he lived or died), that God was in control and I could trust Him.

Holding hands reminds me of a small child that grasps the larger hand of their parent. They have complete trust in their caregiver. I also think about holding hands with my sweetheart. Even after almost twenty years of marriage I enjoy holding my husband's hand and know how much he loves and cares for me. As much as I love holding hands with my husband and occasionally with my sons, I want to be a woman that is holding hands with God. Holding my "Daddy's" hand requires that I place my trust in Him and allow Him to lead me. After all, He knows what is best for me and knows the direction I need to be going.

When was the last time you held hands with your Heavenly Father and allowed Him to lead you?

Chicken Soup for the Homeschooler's Soul

Is this a book that you'd be interested in???
Please stop by Apples of Gold and see what great idea she has!

Free Candle

Saw this while browsing. It is a free candle giveaway. Check it out.
http://isthatafreecandle.blogspot.com/

Rainy Day

Some people are depressed when there is a rainy day. I always enjoy whether we have a rainy or sunny day. Today we are having a rainy day. Originally I planned to walk early this morning with a dear friend, but we changed plans because it was pouring at the time. This allowed me an opportunity to get a little more rest this morning, which was an unexpected blessing.

As I thought about the beauty of a rainy day, God also reminded me about the importance of letting Him reign in my life. It must be a daily choice and decision to allow Him to be in control of my life. I desire for Him to always be in the center of my life.

I was struck by a couple sentences in Priscilla Shirer's book, He Speaks to Me this afternoon. She said, "When God wants to do something out of the ordinary, can He look to you or me? Or will He have to bypass us because we've become too set in our ways?" I don't know about you my friend, but I desire to be a woman that says "Yes!" to God. I don't want to become so set in my ways that I don't allow the Holy Spirit to move in my heart. I desire for each day to be a "Reigny Day" where Christ reigns in my heart and life.

Treasured Moments

This past weekend we had the pleasure of having my in-laws come for a visit. For a number of years they lived in the Midwest so we would only get to see them once a year when we took our family vacation. Those days held lots of joy and happiness as we had hours of family time together driving in the car, but also visiting my husband's parents. These vacations were some of the most memorable for all of us.

Several years ago they were able to move to our side of the United States, just a couple hours drive away. But because of various circumstances we have not been able to see them often and rarely just the two of them. In my heart, I often prayed that God would somehow make it that we could have some of that alone time with them again, hopefully before my two sons were grown and left home.

We were pleasantly surprised to recently receive a phone call that just the two of them would be able to visit this past weekend. This has been rare since they have moved into the area for various reasons. One of the main reasons is that my mother-in-law has been battling cancer for a couple years and her health has been poor. She currently is in remission and is regaining her strength. Praise God!

Saturday found my husband, two sons and father-in-law participating in an all day scouting event at a local military post. With the guys gone, my mother-in-law suggested a day of shopping together. This is something that we have been unable to do together for quite a number of years. We spent over five hours shopping, trying on clothes and just re-connecting. I was pleasantly surprised with the purchases that she made for me. As much as I am enjoying the new clothes that fit me nicely(Thanks Mom! :), and make me feel better about myself, I would have to say the moments we spent together is what I treasure the most.

As I wrote in my journal that evening, God reminded me of the prayer that I had been praying now for over four years - to be able to spend time alone again with my in-laws. I realized that I finally was seeing a glimpse of that answer to prayer. I praise God for this weekend that we shared. It is a treasured moment to me.

As I pondered writing about this, it made me think about the time that I spend with the Lord each day. How much of that time is a 'Treasured Moment'? Do I take the time to really enjoy being at the feet of my Heavenly Father or am I just going through the motions so I can cross it off my "To Do" list? Do I glory in His presence as I watch the sun rise? Do I praise Him as I go about my day, teaching the kids, doing laundry, meals, chores, etc. Am I treasuring each moment I have with Him?

How about you? When was the last time you treasured the time you spent with Jesus?

Writing Club

I don't have anything deep and philosophical to write today :), but thought I would share with you a home school idea. My boys are in 8th and 11th grade this year. At times they like writing, when they can choose what they want to write about, but not so excited when it is an assignment.

Because of my love of writing I decided to teach a writing club for home school students in our area this year. Nothing big or extensive. We meet once a month. Today was our first time to meet and only one adolescent came. We geared it for 6th - 12th graders. This first month each of the boys (all we currently have) brought along stories/poems that they had written and shared them with the group. They all enjoyed reading their own writing aloud, and hearing appropriate feedback.

Next we talked about the assignment which will be due next month. For their first assignment I chose something fun for them to do. They are creating a comic book that has to feature four different people. Two heroes, a helpless victim and an antagonist. Since we had a small group and were finished with readings early, I allowed them time to start brainstorming about their comic books. I pulled out paper and colored pencils so they could start sketching ideas.

They were excited and so was I as I saw them get interested about the project. Most home school moms I have talked with do not feel confident with teaching writing. I don't know that I do either, but I figured what was important was that they had some guided projects to accomplish, as well as a safe environment where they could share their ideas and be accepted. I have learned that it does not need to be elaborate.

What new endeavor is God calling you to do? Don't be afraid to step out and say "Yes" to His calling.

Hint of Evil

A couple times on Christian radio recently I have heard various speakers talking about the importance of staying away from even the hint of evil. I think as Christians we don't often realize how much we flirt with the world and flirt with just a hint of evil.

We perhaps watch a TV program that may be completely fine except for that short scene that displays an illicit affair. Or we joke with co-workers and don't say anything when an off-color comment is made. Even as Christians we aren't immune to this. How easy it is to listen to the latest piece of gossip, or perhaps even spread some. What secret sins do you hide in your heart?

The Lord reminded me of this as I was walking this morning from 6:30 - 7 AM in my neighborhood. It was a cool, dark misty morning. The sun wasn't even up yet. As I walked I viewed a number of houses with Halloween decorations.

Now I know this is a controversial topic when it comes to Christians. When I grew up we celebrated this holiday and even went around as kids to get candy like everyone else. I never thought a whole lot about it until my husband and I were stationed in Germany. Where we lived there was a large population of practicing witches in the area. It was halloween and we did not have any children yet. We didn't want to participate in handing out candy, but choose instead to go to a movie on the military post. As we walked to the movies you could see kids going around in all kinds of costumes, and your first inclination was that it was cute. But yet, we also could feel an almost physical oppression that night from the spiritual warfare that was going on as well. We somehow knew that on the surface things looked like just a fun time for kids, but also knew for the demonic world, it was a totally different realm. Because of that, we never have chosen to celebrate halloween with our children.

This morning as I walked the Lord reminded me of this occurrence again. As I was getting exercise and praying, I saw multiple houses decorated with witches, ghosts, and bats. The Lord spoke to me about the importance of staying away from even the hint of evil. 1 John 2:15 talks about not loving things of this world. When we choose to love the things of the world, we don't have God's love inside us. So are there any things that you are holding onto that are of this world? Let's join together and choose to be separate from this world so that others see Christ in us.

Pick Up a Good Book

I am so blessed by our local library system. They often get new Christian books that are out in the stores and I am able to get them via inner-library loan. I usually have at least one book going at a time. Right now I am currently reading The Parting by Beverly Lewis. I also am making my way through Leading Women to the Heart of God by Lysa TerKeurst. Last night at the library, my husband picked up He Speaks to Me - Preparing to Hear from God by Priscilla Shirer.
What good Christian books can you recommend?

A Challenge for You

You hear complaints every day - about the weather, the driver in front of you, the cost of gas, how long it takes at the drive-thru..... The list goes on and on.

I recently was reminded of this. Where I live in Pennsylvania has been having several weeks of fluctuating temperatures. You hear people complain because it is too hot, too cold, too sunny, too rainy. God drew my attention to this as I looked back over my joy journal over the past month or so, and each entry I mentioned praise to God for a beautiful day. It didn't matter to me if if was hot, cold, rainy, sunny, or whatever. Each day I found something about the weather to be thankful for.

Don't get me wrong, I have never considered myself a positive person. I often look at the negative side of things, or so I thought. But as I look back over the past year or so, I realize that God has been doing a gradual change in my heart. I have been praying for I don't know how long, that God would change me and make me into what He desires for me to be. I mentioned in an earlier blog that each day I pray to "see, hear, and feel" God in a new way. God has been using this not only to draw me closer to Him, but also to change how I view things as well.

I don't know that I can say that I have gone an entire day without complaining about something. But God was showing me this morning that it is a new area I need to attempt. How about you. Have you ever gone an entire day without murmuring (or thinking) a complaint? How about two days, a week, a month, a lifetime? Our goal is to not complain at all, like it says in scripture. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Philippians 2:14-15

People sure would take notice if they never hear you uttering a complaint. Are you willing to take the challenge of the verses and walk a life without complaint? How about we start today?

Lessons From Elisha

On Wednesday evening, my Pastor taught on Elisha and brought up some interesting truths about this prophet of God that I never had thought of before.

1 Kings 19:19-21, "So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you."
"Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant."

It is likely that Elisha came from a very wealthy family based on the fact that he had twelve pair of oxen. Having livestock during this time period marked the amount of wealth they had. I found it interesting that when Elisha decided to follow Elijah, he sacrificed (gave up) the oxen. He used his plow to cook the meat and then shared it with the town.

In a sense Elisha burned his bridge behind him, when he made his decision to follow this man of God. He choose to leave all of his worldly ties and securities and step into an unknown world. He walked in faith, trusting God with his future. What are you willing to give up to follow Jesus?

God's Creation

Today is a beautiful day in Pennsylvania. The temperatures are back to cooler again and the leaves are starting to change. A beautiful breeze is blowing and I can't help but glory in the beauty of God's creation. As my weekly walking partner and I traversed the neighborhood this morning, I was awed by God's handiwork. I smile as I hear the birds chirping and singing outside of my windows, right now as I write.

I stepped outside for a few minutes earlier in the day, and saw a chipmunk scurrying. Later he was under one of the bird feeders filling his cheeks with dropped seeds and then hurried off to hide them in the neighbor's yard. The next visitor to the feeder was a squirrel. I don't mind when he stays on the ground and forages, but he tends to climb the pole so he can get to the feeder, and scares off the birds.

I can't help but think of Psalm 72:19, "Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen." When was the last time you breathed a prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty of the world God has created for us?

Rotten Apples

Part of being a home schooling family is that we spend a lot of time together, which has its positives and negatives. A negative sometimes is that we get on each other's nerves. Well this morning the boys were in that situation. Neither of them were thinking of the other, so their bad attitudes were wearing on each other. After a short walk around the neighborhood, and having to share positive qualities about their brother, they returned home in a better frame of mind.

This afternoon I finally got around to working with three baskets of apples that had fallen off our tree. They had been waiting for a while, so a number of them were starting to rot. As they rotted, they also tended to infect the apples around them. As I dealt with the spoiling apples I was reminded of my boy's attitude this morning.

Both boys had an attitude and were infecting each other. Isn't that true of most of us? We tend at times to have a lousy attitude about something or someone, and we "share" it with whomever we contact. But God calls us to go beyond being a rotten apple. We have to ask Him to peel away the spots and turn us into apples of gold. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." (Proverbs 25:11) Are you in need of having God carve away some rotten things in your heart? Why don't you ask Him to do that today?

A Heart Tuned to God

Could your heart use a tune-up? When was the last time that you felt God prompting you when you knew that you did something wrong, and He wanted you to make amends? Perhaps you argue with that nudging that what you did really wasn't a big deal. It should be enough to just pray and ask forgiveness.

Yesterday I said some things to a friend that I shouldn't have said. They were unkind words that dealt with another woman. After I left her I knew that God was telling me to make amends. I first argued with myself that I asked God to forgive me, that should be enough, right? No. God was telling me that I needed to call my friend and apologize for speaking ill of someone else. I needed to say those words "I was wrong, could you please forgive me?" When I called and left a message on her answering machine I felt immediate relief.

I know that the key to hearing those 'prompts' from God is by being close to my Heavenly Father, and dealing with my sin right away. If I tend to put it aside and not follow God's leading, my hearing comes a little muffled. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have anything that stands in the way of clearly hearing my Heavenly Father talking to me. I want to have my heart constantly tuned to Him.

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:22-23

Special Thanks

It has just been over a month since I have started the world of blogging. I am not overly computer savvy, but with my husband's help I figured out how to start up an account with blogger and came up with a basic page set up.

Well the Lord knew that my heart's desire was to have a nicer looking page with an inviting banner to welcome readers. I was so blessed by an offer to help me in this area. So a special thank you to Lisa at Apples of Gold(http://ourapplesofgold.blogspot.com/) Just as Lisa has blessed me, perhaps you too can reach out to someone and bless them in a special way today.

God's Word for the Day

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Proverbs 31 Ministry's She Speaks Conference. (http://www.shespeaksconference.com/) During one of the main session, Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 shared that each day she prays "Lord I want to see you, to hear your voice and to know you." (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/)

Since the conference, I have made a point of praying that same prayer early in the morning, when I am having my devotions. While teaching a Proverbs 31 Bible study several months ago, I encouraged the ladies to seek God each day and find out what word/instructions He has for you. I have found that it often takes quieting my heart to be able to hear God's soft whisper to me. The wonderful thing is that He doesn't disappoint me. When I remain in close fellowship with Him it becomes much easier to hear what He desires to tell me.

I believe Renee Swope (http://reneeswope.blogspot.com/) said in her blog that she has a specific chair that she uses each day for her time with the Lord. Whenever she passes by the chair throughout the day she is reminded of their time together. How about you, do you have a special place where you meet with God?

One of the things God has talked to me about this past week was the need to get up earlier. I am not a morning person. Perhaps partly because my husband enjoys staying up late, so I try to stay up with him. He can handle five to six hours of sleep and do fine, I can't. I do best with seven to eight hours. So one day last week I had the opportunity to walk in the afternoon for about a half hour and I asked the Lord how I can better schedule my day and get things accomplished. He simply said, "You could get up earlier." So now you find me up much earlier than I used to. This allows me time to regularly exercise, (which had been sporadic) and still have time to catch up with email, blogs, etc. before time to start school for the day. I find myself more encouraged just from that small change I made. I'm able to get more things accomplished throughout the day.

When was the last time you sought out God and asked what word He had for you for the day? What new things is He showing and teaching you?

Feasting on God's Word

As my 16 year old son fed our pet guinea pig this morning he expressed an interest in my writing a blog about our guinea pig - Squeakers. I thought about her eagerness when it comes to food. In the morning when we give her timothy hay, she is almost frantic for it. At lunch time she knows she will get a carrot and can tell when I'm peeling apples or carrots, and will squeal with hopes that she will be fed something as well.

I thought of the parallel to feasting on God's Word. Perhaps you are a nibbler, and just open your Bible and read a verse or two. Or are you like our guinea pig that tends to gorge? Do you have long periods of time throughout the day that you are able to really delve into the Bible? Or perhaps you are a person that ruminates. This actually refers to how a cow chews its cud. It regurgitates what was in his stomach and chews it again.

I think there are times when we only are able to nibble at God's Word and other times when we have time to gorge. No matter how much time you are able to spend isn't as important as that you spend time ruminating on what God shows you through His scriptures. How are you doing with feasting on God's Word today?

Spread Your Wings and Soar

Several months ago I saw one of the ugliest baby birds I have ever seen. He spent the day hanging out on our deck. I seriously wondered if something was wrong with him. He acted like he wasn't quite right. He often leaned to one side and constantly had his beak wide open and would try and snap at passing bugs, but always missed. He looked like he was having a bad hair (feather) day because he had a tuft on top of his head that stood up at a funny angle. I felt sorry for the little guy.

At first I couldn't tell from his coloring, what type of bird he was. He was nondescript in a lot of ways, but did have a little bit of red on his tail. My son and I got bird books out from the library to see if we could determine what he was. Much to our surprise, he was a cardinal. He looked more like an ugly duckling.

Weeks passed and we would see him each day as he would come to our bird feeders. He still exhibited odd behavior, but somehow I became attached to the little guy. (At least I thought, he was a guy, but it is hard to tell for sure when the bird is young.) He lost some of his quirks and began to display the coloring of an adult male cardinal.

Each time I would catch a glimpse of him throughout the summer, I would note how much he was growing and changing. He gradually developed more red feathers, but still has kept the brown beak.

Just last evening I saw our Juve (he is no longer a baby, but more of a juvenile/adolescent). This time he was sitting in our apple tree, pecking at one of the apples. His beak slowly is getting more of an orange tint. This time I noticed that there was a female bird in the tree as well. Again tonight he was back at the same apple, and was accompanied by a female cardinal. Whenever he flew to the ground, she followed him. She also followed as he flew off to visit somewhere else.

I smile when I hear his call (and his friends) throughout the day. When I see him with the young lady I feel like the proud parent that has successfully raised their child, and now he is soaring on his own. It reminded me of Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

I also thought how God has called me to "soar" lately. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved writing. All through my school years and newly married, I wrote extensively. When the boys entered my life, I put it to the side, figuring there wasn't time to do it. The past year or two God has renewed my passion for writing. He has called me back to working at honing my craft, and taking it to a new level. For me it has been a walk of faith - stepping out off the cliff and not knowing where God will lead me. My prayer is that I don't fall, but that I soar like the eagle, and like my little cardinal buddy.

Is there anything today that God is calling you to trust Him with so that you can soar? Why don't you talk to Him about it right now?

Love One Another

"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing." 2Thessalonians 1:3

I overheard a comment made at church the other day that really saddened me. The main gist was that two women were not talking to each other. It made me think how much it grieves our Heavenly Father when we as Christian do not get along with each other and choose not to speak to each other. The verse above points out that just as our faith grows, so also should our love for one another.

Where are you at today, my friend? Is their a grievance between you and someone else that needs to be resolved? Don't let another day go by with ill feelings toward another. Pray and ask for forgiveness before you approach the person.

Praise God that we can choose to forgive someone, with His help. My prayer for you today is that you will walk in Christ's freedom.

The Cook has the Month Off

My 16 year old son has been interested this school year in learning how to cook. So for the past month or so we have had a pretty intensive course of study on cooking. Now comes the test - he is in charge of all meals for this entire month. So far he has only prepared breakfast and lunch today, but I was surprised at how freeing it has been not having to be in charge of meal preparation. He also prepared supper in the crock pot this morning, so he wouldn't have to worry about cooking since he has his college class this afternoon. I think I will enjoy having the month off from cooking. Perhaps I'll be able to do some baking, that I just never seem to find the time to do. I look forward to what new things will show me this month, as I have some extra time that I can spend with him. What a joy to home school and have the flexibility to do something like this. I'll keep you updated on how he does.