End of January 2010

It's the end of the beginning. I can hardly believe that this year is one twelth over. But that's how it goes. The Lord has hastened His work, and He has hastened the clock. I'm certain of this. Every year passes a bit more quickly than the one before. We may not notice it day by day, but I am certain that the time value of a second is quicker than it used to be.

Even though time passes more quickly, we seem to be able to fit ever so much more into it. You may think you haven't done much this year, but if you think so, I can almost guarantee that you are not keeping a journal. Look over your calendar. What did you do each day? Amazing, isn't it? Some seemingly large tasks that you've wanted to get done are finished, or you've put a mighty dent in them. The seemingly small things that you have done each day have amounted to a great deal, too. Bit by bit, chunk by chunk, you've started the year!

What an age. I'm glad to be alive. I do not have to wash clothes on a scrub board. I no longer have to pin clothes on a line to dry. In fact, I haven't done that in years. Even though I think time is going faster, technology has given us all a present: we have way more time to do the things that we want to do. One of those things that I want to do is write. So I'm thankful for my computer and for this blog and for the few of you who read it and make me feel published.

It's funny though that we have to make up programs to help us exercise. Life has become so sendentary that we forget how good it is to be outside, walking with a gentle breeze at our necks. We forget how good it feels to dig with a shovel and work the land. We forget how fun it is to play real outdoor games that help us stay fit. We forget how noticing the changes in the world around us helps us feel creative and thankful.

So I dedicate myself to more time outdoors. Even though I have a car, I can walk. And while I can walk, I will choose to walk more and choose to notice the colors of the mountains and the sky more, not just the pavement under my feet.

I love home schooling Christine. I enjoy reading and learning. But I want Christine to have a love for nature. I, therefore, promise myself and her that we will set school aside periodically to enjoy the great outdoors. Time is passing much too quickly. In a few more winks, our children will all be gone with children of there own. What is it that I want them to remember? What is it that I can help Christine remember? I would like to help her develop a love for life and this beautiful world God created for us. She already has a three R's education that surpasses the majority of the world. But I'd like to help her learn to love God's creations and God's children. So these next few months will find us out and about much more than we have been.

Hello world. We are home.