A new schedule takes so much time...

...and it takes such effort to reconfigure your head around how to get done what needs to get done.

The kids going to school is both a blessing and a curse. Strong language, I know, but it's true, ha ha. It's so great to see them enjoying being with their friends, experiencing new things and all that. In fact, sometimes after we drop the older two off, we sit and watch them walk away from us, so smart looking in their uniforms, looking so old, and we wonder if those are really our kids. Until the youngest asks if we can go yet. :) It's so great to see the confidence that has blossomed in them during last year's homeschooling experiment. And how great to see such a positive outcome!

But then I resent the time school takes away from our family. It demands its own schedule and tries to supercede the family's schedule at every turn. Hate that! There's enough of life trying to do that already. I want to be able to prioritize family and church, then school. Unfortunately, I can't do that to the degree I would like, so I get to be creative and that means I have to be on MY game and think ahead and plan and execute.....understanding the curse part?

Another area of new scheduling is at work. With staff changes we are having to redefine our daily in and out roles in the office, and it is a real stretch to walk through. The good side is that we don't have to be the ones to do so many things, and we can have actual family time with the children on the weekend,...but after so many years of functioning in "work" mode, we are having to rediscover how to have fun as a family. Isn't that sad? We were talking today about having to plan the re-learning of it. Our fun is so often mixed up with work, and truthfully, we like it that way most of the time. But the kids are getting older, and so are we. In the long run, we'll be healthier in body and spirit, stronger, for the changes being made, but God, help us make the changes! :)

Kinda brings tears to my eyes, re-reading this paragraph. I am so thankful to God for the pieces that have fallen into place around us. There is such an open door for this time, and I know God is at work, that destiny is being shaped. And not just for us..............