Quotation for the Week

It's been a crazy-busy week.

We started our fifteenth year of home education on Monday, schooling the three boybarians in grades 6, 9, and 11. Yes, two of the three are now in high school.

At least schooling started gently, gradually. The two elder boys did not meet with their algebra tutor (a college friend and practically a godmother to our kids) until Friday morning, so they had almost the whole week free from Algebra I for J and Algebra II for T.

And the peasants rejoiced.

Also, our Class Day co-op courses with Heritage Christian School, our private school provider PSP), do not begin until September 15. So T, a junior, must wait until then to begin Chemistry with labwork (a double-period class) and my Intermediate Writing class which I will teach him at home the day before Class Day so he can have PE at Class Day. And J is waiting for Class Day to start his World Geography course, also a double-period class. B, our lone middle school student, doesn't have to wait on anything except math drills, but his work book arrived just yesterday, so he's all set now; none of his Class Day courses (PE, Chess, Grossology) require homework.

In addition, I started teaching an online course in the MLA Research Essay at Brave Writer last Monday. My class is minuscule; I've never had a Brave Writer course with a mere five students. I won't be making much money, but with such a small class, it will be intimate and fun--lots of getting to know one another well. Two of the boys have interests in the study of insects and diseases; one of them is using that precise interest to furnish his topic which should work very well.

Despite the gradual start to homeschooling and a small online course to teach, this week has been busy...frenzied, almost. I'm still adjusting to taking E (a college sophomore) down to the community college for classes twice per week which takes a hunk out of my home schooling time, causing a rather drastic alteration to our home school schedule.

But we shall be meeting with the algebra tutor on one of the afternoons we were already waiting for E, so that should work well. On Tuesdays I've planned to meet with our chiropractor on a book he desires to write on good health for Christians.

Needless to say, as summer ends and school begins, I have been feeling the need for a little peace and contemplation. And Ann Voskamp had the perfect little reminder in her calendar for one of last week's quotation calendar that I keep at the home schooling table to remind me about focus and priorities, and I copied it into my Quotation Journal of the past ten years:

"...contemplative simplicity isn't a matter of circumstances. It's a matter of focus."
--Ann Voskamp

So as this new week bursts forth in scudding cloud and shy sunrise, I pray that I can remember this truth and focus my mindheartsoulstrength on the One who is PeaceBringer. Only in Christ Jesus can true peace, the kind that transcends human comprehension, guard me and guide me as we begin yet another school year together at home, gathered around the school table or flaked out across sofa and armchairs while I read aloud, pray aloud each morning .

And may His perfect peace be yours, this day and always!

Focusing on His Peace,