Change is on the horizon.....

It has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote and so much has happened to us.   We are in our last days of school for Hannah, she graduates high school on Saturday.   We are excited and thrilled for her, such a rite of passage for a young person.   We spent the weekend in Tigerville, SC registering her for her fall classes at college and learning that the ominous move in day is less than 90 days away....and the crying begins... well at least for me.   I remember the day that sweet baby entered this world and how excited and wonderful it was.   I am hard pressed to remember those sweet young days with her except through pictures and fleeting memories in my mind.   I want to hold on those last fleeting minutes until August 10th and make every moment count before she moves on, moves towards her future.   I have been blessed beyond measure to watch her grow and become a beautiful young woman who loves the Lord and wants to serve HIM.   My prayers hasten for a compatible roommate, provision of a vehicle, and good friends, not to mention her safety and success adjusting to college life.    Being a mother never ends it just changes and prayers never cease just change as well.     Till Saturday.........

TRUST

A couple of years ago my sweet mother-in-law gave me a daily devotion book by Sarah Young called  Jesus Calling.  I have used it intermittently throughout these past two years.  Just this past week Cathedral had their teacher appreciation lunch and much to my delight I received Sarah Young's newest book.  I am very excited to see how God speaks to me through this new one.   I am still working through Jesus Calling and I just had to post the excerpt from today, May 7th.

"IF YOU LEARN TO TRUST ME -- really trust Me--with your whole being, then nothing can separate you from My Peace.  Everything you endure can be put to good use by allowing it to train you in trusting Me.  This is how you fail the works of evil, gowing in grace through the very adversity that was meant to harm you.  Joseph was a prime example of the divine reversal, declaring to his brothers: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good."

Do not fear what this day, or any day, may ring you way.  Concentrate on trusting Me and on doing what needs to be done.  Relax in My sovereignty, remembering that I go before you, as well as with you, into each day.  Fear no evil, for I can bring good out of every situation you will ever encounter."

It begs the question, HOW MUCH DO I ACTUALLY TRUST?  I can say by my words I trust God, He will provide, but is the reality that I still want to control the situation?   How many times can I go over and over in my mind how things will work out or the alternative scenarios of how I can make a situation better or fix a problem.   Of course, there is no peace, but if I truly TRUST the one who gave His life for me, created me, knows me more intimately, and is always working for my good....how can I not trust this One.  

The name of our homeschool is Growing in Grace Academy.  I know I just can't get away from that word Grace!  Even the name of the leader of our accountability group is named Grace.   When I am undergoing trials or uncertainty of our future, God always provides something to remind me of HIS GRACE and how it never fails us, even this morning in the words of Ms Sarah Young, God reminds me that I am growing in grace and I am so thankful for His Peace. 

Making a point

On my last post I wrote about time and how quickly it goes; well, as you can see time has been slipping away since I last posted on this blog.   My prayer is that I will be able to make a point to keep writing so I can have a record of how God is working in my life and the life of my family.   Mostly we have been working to get Hannah finished with school, working, and trying to keep up with daily life an activities.   What we haven't done this spring is pick strawberries or go to the beach which my May 1st we usually have done so several times.  To-do-list tomorrow, call to see of berries are still on the bushes.   I counted and I only have five jars left from last spring's jam making session, so I know we will certainly run out before next spring.   Hopefully the beach will come soon also, maybe next weekend, although we have so much to do to get ready for graduation that a gallon of paint may be calling me more than the salty breezes and warm sun.   Anyway, life is changing at a rapid pace and I am just trying to keep up!

Time.... Please slow down.

Well, there is an old saying "time flies when your having fun!."   Well time certainly has flown by since my last post.   Many things have taken place, final grades for Hannah(BIG CHECK) are finally done, college hunt beginning, sold a car, had a birthday for my sweet 87 year old Nana, granduation stuff order, well, isn't that enough.   I thought this time of year would be slow for me, but I am already feeling the heaviness of my responsibilities between now and May 26th when my sweet daughter graduates high school.   I still think back on the day she made me a mom, how she looked, how she cried; and I think back on her toddler years and how funny she was and all the in between time.  It has flown by extremely too fast for me and I want to hold on and savor these last months with her before she steps into adulthood.   I could hardly let her get her driver's license I don't know how I am going to let her go to college.   I know that we are just given our children for a short time to train, love, nuture, but I have loved every second of my time so far being her mom.  She is more beautiful than I can imagine, inside and out.  She has a good grasp of her faith and knows and trusts God.   I know she is uncertain at times of what her future may hold but she is adventurous and bold, and courageous to face it.   This week we ordered her graduation stuff and it has been hard for me since then, just thinking of the end of high school being so real so quickly.   My goal is not to be too busy to savor every step of these last four months before graduation with my sweet girl.   Thank you God for sharing her with me, and yeah,  time....please slow down! 

Welcome 2012

Well, it isn't exactly January 1, but things at the Braun household have been pretty busy and this is my first post of the new year.   Many of you may find yourself like me wanting to start the year out fixing all the things that I felt needed attention to make life not soooo crazy.   Balancing work, school, family, church, and still managing to put meals on the table and provide my family with clean clothes seems at times like a fairy tale.  I am sure I can't be the only one who struggles with keeping up and not feeling guilty all the time when my expectations don't fit with the reality of what my life is.   I don't believe in resolutions but I do believe in reevaluation.   So, the Brauns, all five of us, had a reevaluation meeting this past weekend.   After much heated discussion and a "new" list of household rules and expectations, we are now on day two of the new and improved "Daily Schedule."   Like most changes, we are in the "honeymoon stage," where it all looks great on paper and seemed to be working because everyone is excited and cooperating.   We even have set a goal of all running 3.5 miles within nine weeks (Mom walking).  Everyone has been very nice to each other to this point, but I know the day will come where it is hard to keep up, or something interrupts the schedule, and I pray that we will be gracious enough to encourage each other to continue on and fill in the gaps that others leave behind.   Already Hannah and Franklin have switched meal days as Hannah had a friend over last night for dinner and a movie and she wanted to spend time with her friend instead of her chores so they switched, which was a thing of beauty.   My goal is to develop discipline for myself, in my children, and a sense of peace and harmony within our household so that our home is a haven from the outside world where grace is explemplified to each other and love abounds.   Lofty goals??? I don't think so.   The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."   I don't want to be stupid nor do I want that for my children.  As much as I hate exercise or how much I love to sleep in, it is for my good and the good of my children to be disciplined in these areas.  God's word is full of promises, lots of which are found in Proverbs, it is one of my standby books to read when I am not doing a formal bible study.   I am trying to encourage my children daily with Proverbs and hoping the end of 2012 will find us better fit physically and just a wee bit more disciplined but more so, a graceful, peaceful , happy household.   Happy New Year!