Getting Through the Winter

 I once heard a homeschool mom pray, "Lord, please reveal to us what you have for us today." 

For some reason it struck me.

Sort of a Give us this day our daily bread prayer for homeschoolers.

I've since adopted this prayer for our homeschool mornings, and it's amazing how many times I open my Bible to read and see a connection to something we've been studying. 

For example, we recently made the jump from 2D to 3D in our geometry course. We've enjoyed taking a 2D image on paper, like a circle or square, and then comparing it to its 3D match, like a globe or a tissue box. We discuss what a difference it makes adding that third dimension - depth. The kids then practiced tracing complex geometric shapes like icosahedrons and dodecahedrons. (Who has ever heard of such shapes?!)

This morning in my quiet time, I read Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths are beyond tracing out!"

I thought it was beautiful how I saw the kids' recent math assignments in God's Word. 

I read the verse to them, which then opened up a conversation... As hard as it's been for us to grasp some of these math concepts, we can at least trace over some of the more intricate shapes, causing us to become more familiar with them as we learn. But God's paths are beyond our tracing. To which one of my teenagers pointed out that humans are "bounded," and God is "unbounded" - another math concept from this week.

Homeschooling older kids has been a tremendous blessing in my life. They are capable of such profound discussions.

This winter has seemed extra difficult.

Combining prolonged sub-zero temps with a high maintenance puppy has been a challenge.

While our property is ideal for energetic kids and dogs, it's been too dangerously cold. So we've all felt a little cooped up.

Cash stole one of my mittens and tore it to shreds. It was a beautiful handmade mitten that Micah bought for me in Alaska probably twenty years ago! It had two layers, warm wool with a soft fleece lining. 

When I arrived to the crime scene, it was too late to save it. So I resigned to letting him finish the job. 

Giving its untouched pair to Nola so she could use the fabric for a craft, I sighed disappointedly, and muttered under my breath, This is why I'm a cat person....

Nola is a sensitive soul, always slipping me little notes and drawings whenever she senses I'm upset. Like this poem she wrote to cheer me up...

We'll be climbing up out of the negative temps over the weekend, though, which will be a welcome relief. I've been passing these cold winter days by going back and forth between quietly reading under my electric blanket, and passive-aggressively dropping hints to Micah that I wish to be taken to Paris next month for our anniversary.

Like randomly texting links to Paris hotels, or casually bringing up in conversation that I happened to come across my passport recently and it doesn't expire until 2027... in case he would need to know... *wink

I can't help that I'm fascinated by recent attempts to clean and restore Notre Dame Cathedral since the devastating fire. I've watched videos of the work that's been done, and it's just so cool. Using all volunteers, and original materials, (like iron) they've managed to bring it back to life and reopen to the public in only five years!

I'm obsessed with the thought of going to see it for myself... tres excitant!

Unlikely, I know. But a girl can dream, and in the meantime pray, "Lord, please reveal to us what you have for us today," to stay content in this hard winter.

😊

~ Courtney 

Missionaries to Africa

 It's interesting that a recent trip Micah and Roman took to Senegal, Africa, happened to coincide with a history reading on missionaries to Africa that Elsa and I enjoyed back at home.

We learned that prior to the 1800s, only courageous Europeans, led by skillful African trailblazers, explored the interior of the continent. The task was so difficult and dangerous, it became known as the "White Man's Grave."

Reading the line, "None but the very brave were suited for the exploration of this great land," while our two guys were there, made Elsa and I grateful for the thousands of missionaries over the last two hundred years that have helped contribute to what has made traveling to Africa much safer today.

These missionaries started almost all of Africa's schools and hospitals, taught new ways of farming and preventing disease, and led many to Christ.

We also read a short biography on David Livingstone, whose goal was to "explore the land while he preached the gospel in order to open up the interior of Africa for other missionaries." He certainly paved the way, winning the respect and admiration of people back in England, Scotland, and eventually America as he pushed deeper into this "Dark Continent." 

Not everyone gets their name mentioned in a history book. Yet thousands played a necessary role in this large operation. All were cogs in the wheel, so to speak.

 I can envision flipping through multiple pages of missionary names, enough to fill several volumes, I'm sure. Imagining, as we flip, two centuries worth of progress recorded within those volumes, and finding that we are now in the year 2025- where the entries end and blank pages begin.

So here is where we enter a father/son duo, from a speck on the map, spending a week on Niomoune island, a speck on the other side of the map. Seems like a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things, and probably more impactful for Micah and Roman than for the natives there. But, a new entry on the blank pages has been made.

With their permission, I am sharing a few photos...

(Micah brought a bag of candy to share...)

They returned healthy, although a touch disoriented from travel, and both said it was a great experience they'd love to do again.

Thank you to those who prayed for them on their adventure.

"Jesus said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.' "

Mark 16:15

~ Courtney