Thankfulness...

It has been awhile since my last post and Part 2 will have to wait. So what have we been up to.... tons!! Learning and living doesnt leave a lot of room for posting, but we are steadily making our way through the school year.

We have started working in our Daily Grams workbooks and have went back to working in our Lifepac language arts workbooks. Although we still use our daily reading and writing for most of our grammar activities. In math we are continuing to work on those multiplication tables, but I must admit that it is becoming tedious. It looks like we will need to come up with another way to practice those facts. 

This week we are focusing on all things Thanksgiving which includes history, poetry, and our read aloud times. We also started a character study on thankfulness today and will be working to memorize 1Thessalonians 5:16-18....

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Beautiful verse and so very important to our faith. After talking about this verse and what it means we read a post from a friend of mine which exemplified what it means to give thanks in all circumstances. She and her family are counting their blessings in the face of cancer. Very inspiring stuff and it led to a very good discussion about how we might deal with the same circumstances and why they have so much hope. This is the post from Nov 2, 2010 below....

No greater love...

There is no greater love in this world that the love of God! In fact, at times, I find it quite overwhelming. Not overwhelming in the sense that it makes me uncomfortable...overwhelming in the sense that I cannot possibly understand and fully grasp the depth and magnitude of it. In spite of all I've been and all I still am...He chooses to love me so deeply and bless me so generously. After all...He IS love...He cannot be anything apart from love...it is who God is....not what He chooses to do...He is perfect, holy love!
Sunday, Mike was asked to say a few words to our church family about our journey. I was so incredibly proud of him. As difficult as this journey is for me, it must be exponentially difficult for him. I try to understand, but I am not sure if it is possible to walk in his shoes and experience what he is experiencing. He is so strong, determined, and disciplined. He has such faith and genuine love for God. He is truly an inspiration to me and to so many of you, I am sure. As I sat in church Sunday, I thought the many ways that God has blessed my family over the past 6 months. I thought to myself how in the world can I ever thank you, Lord, for the outpouring of your grace on my life? The only thing I came up with was that I could live my life as a constant prayer of thanksgiving to God...ever aware of His presence, grace, and mercy...ever aware of and responding to His touch...with words of praise continually on my lips and in my heart.

Both Lotus and I cried as we read the words.. "How in the world could I ever thank you , Lord, for the outpouring of your grace on my life?" Im pretty sure I noticed a tear in Killian's eye as well. Those are words coming from someone who has 2 kids and whose husband has one of the most deadliest forms of brain cancer known to man. That is a faith I want to pass on to my kids and hope to have myself. So as I said to the kids today... "We have a hope that surpasses our troubles, our fears and all our circumstances. We can, in the face of adversity, give thanks! We have a saviour that calms the storm." That hope alone is worth being thankful for; even when everything around you is falling apart.

**On a side note.. if you are interested in learning about their story and praying for them as they navigate this time in their life go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mikehearn1. You might have to register, but it will be well worth your time