And life goes on...

...even when I don't blog!

I read a blogging tips article a while back that said it was never right to blog for the sake of blogging, or simply because it had been a while since the last post.

However, I'm going to completely disregard the article and post about anything and everything that seems bloggable.

Why? Because it has been two months since I posted last, and because one of my longsuffering readers (you know who you are!) hinted that I would need to "dust off" this blog before posting anything.

Consider this my attempt to dust. [note the Swiffer in my hand. See? I am trying.]

Ironically, the rest of my life hasn't seemed to collect much dust lately. It's been pretty crazy these past weeks. I graduated from high school last Sunday, and I have one suggestion for any aspiring homeschool graduates: do not procrastinate so badly on school that you end up literally graduating the day of the party. Take it from me, it's not worth the dramatic finish! And the crash the next day is inevitable [sleep may be overrated, but trying not to fall asleep at a work desk is lousy].

Yes, I am speaking from personal experience. Why do I do these things to myself? An astute reader of my blog will remember that I have a problem with procrastination, especially when it comes to math.

And although an intelligent person would have learned from those torturous Algebra-filled weeks, I did not. You see, while most people learn from their mistakes, I tend to repeat mine. Maybe it's because I forget how much it stinks to do 14 lessons of math a day? My memory is patchy at best. (And people do laugh at me when I complain of having senior moments. But they are real, okay?) So, excuse me for one moment....NOTE TO SELF: Stop procrastinating on everything....Alright, I'm back now. We'll see if that works.

I have learned some valuable lessons, though. For instance, I found out that splashing water on your face actually will help keep you awake (the colder the water is, the better).

But on a more serious note, I also learned that even when I am in over my head, God is faithful.

Roughly two weeks before I graduated, I was sitting at my desk with my 20% completed geometry book in front of me, when I realized that, short of a miracle, I would never finish in time. The math lessons were harder than I expected, I was working full time, and I had overbooked myself with some political commitments. Completely overwhelmed, I started to cry, and cried out to God for help. And the instant I did, this verse popped into my head: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) It stopped me dead in my tracks, because I hadn't thought about or read that verse lately, and I could think of no rational explanation for that verse coming to me when it did. It had to have been God. So, I wrote the verse in my notebook, and started Lesson 22.

And God was faithful!

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

-Brian Littrell, "In Christ Alone"

{this song is on my playlist at the bottom of this blog}