Getting off to a good start!

This is going to be a big week of firsts for me...Monday morning, Great Worth met for the first time at my house. Only one other woman showed up, G. , but to me that is success. G. has a friend who wanted to come, but Monday mornings didn't work for her, so we might be moving to Thursday mornings. I'm just so happy that it seems to be working out! I need this so much...having other Christian women who understand how I feel and why I feel the way I do. I think this is going to be a HUGE blessing in all of our lives!

Also, tonight I'll be going to the first HOME meeting of the year. HOME stands for Homeeducators Organized for Ministry and Encouragement and is our local Christian homeschool group. I'll officially become a member tonight since Ian will be old enough for co-op activities in the spring. I'm SO excited about this! Since we decided to homeschool, I've hardly been able to wait to get started. I know on one hand that is wishing his young years away to a certain extent, but he is so smart and I just can't wait to see how he flourishes! I know a lot of people who choose to homeschool feel like it is a conviction from God to do so, but for me (although I feel God will bless our homeschool), I don't necessarily hear Him convicting me of it so much as I just want to be there for all of my kids' firsts. I want to be the one to teach them to read and write. I want to see them light up when they have "ah ha" moments. Maybe that's selfish, but hey, they are only kids once, and I want to be there for their whole childhood. Granted, there are tons of positives about homeschooling...from the socialization aspect to being able to control what they are taught (as opposed to them being taught whatever the school board thinks is important, even if those things go against our personal beliefs), to not having to worry about school violence or bullying...but for me, being their teacher is the perk I'm looking forward to the most.

Another first...G. told me that a local church just started a 2-3 year old class in their AWANA program. So I'm going to talk to PG about that and see if that is something he'd be up for Ian attending as well. My home church had AWANA but didn't start until after I was older. My mom and dad are very active in their program and are always saying how wonderful it is. It would be great for Ian to have something like that to participate in!

Prayer requests: Please pray for our financial situation. We are in the red right now with a LOT of things upcoming (a trip we won't get reimbursed for for a few weeks, and lots of birthdays). Please pray also for my step-dad. There is an older couple who he sees as his second parents who he is VERY close with. He goes to see them every Sunday after church. The woman, Mable, passed away this week. I know they are all very upset. Her husband has alzheimer's disease and is living in an extended care facility and did not see her for about 3 weeks prior to her death. I don't think he understood just how sick she was and I am not sure if he understands that she is gone. Please keep them all in your prayers. Another request...we will be out of town this weekend, leaving on Thursday, and I am supposed to have a LLL meeting Thursday night. Please pray I can find someone to lead it for me so I don't have to cancel it!

Answered prayers: God has blessed Great Worth! I can't wait to see how it grows! I also praise God for keeping us safe during the tropical storm. We truely needed the rain, and the wind damage was very minimal.