Today I’m on (in)courage, talking about homeschooling, and how we’re not doing it this year, to my surprise. But that’s totally not the point of my post all, really. Here’s my point:

“…I’m now more surprised than shocked with life’s changes. I could write a book about all the unexpected loops and stomach-dropping dips on the roller coaster ride I’m on with my family, and school has been just one of them. But each one, going through dark tunnels and speeding around the bend with the breeze in my hair, has reminded me that I am not God, and that He Who Is is much more infinitely good, wise, and trustworthy than myself.

…Homeschooling—and the lack thereof this year—is more symbolic to me right now than anything. Symbolic of how I like to place on pedestals my ideals, my way of doing things, my preferences, above that which is ultimately best. Of how it’s so much easier to focus on the appearance of what’s best instead of what’s truly the best thing for me and my family.”

Read the whole post here, and to tell me what crazy ride you’re on right now.

The following is a guest post from April Perry of The Power of Moms.

Do you ever feel like you’re sprinting around simply dealing with one “sticky point” after another?

I’m not just talking about the literal stickiness . . . like orange juice on the kitchen tile or jelly smeared through someone’s hair.

I’m talking about the behind-the-scenes problems that prevent you from accomplishing what matters most – the “little things” that frustrate you and keep you from enjoying the moments with your family.

Maybe your son’s globe nightlight needs a new bulb, and he complains about how much he misses it every time you try to sing lullabies.

Perhaps the door on the clothes dryer keeps popping open, so every time you run a load through, you have to stack heavy boxes in front of the machine, which then impedes the flow of traffic coming in from the garage.

Maybe you’re totally out of plastic spoons, so your children keep taking “real” ones to school in their lunch boxes.

The details in your home will be unique to your family, but everyone has to deal with “life.”

And what ends up happening is that we get so busy with the daily routines and trying to keep our heads above water that we put off taking care of these relatively easy-to-handle “sticky” points.

We wait until the little things become big things, and throughout the whole process, our energy is zapped as our inner voice shouts, “Why can’t you pull your life together?”
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Hi, 15-year-old self, it’s Me, your 35-year-old self. If you can’t do the math in your head (which isn’t surprising, since we’re not the most mathy in the bunch), that means I’m 20 years older than you—more than twice as old.

I don’t feel that much older. Most days I feel like I’m tripping over being a grownup by accident, learning as I go by the grace of God. When I stop and think about how you think compared to how I think, then sure, I realize I’ve actually learned a lot. But mostly? It feels like I was you, then I blinked, and now I’m me.

What’s even stranger for me is that my daughter will be you in a blink. She’s seven right now, but I blinked last Tuesday, right after she was born, and now here she is, tall and gangly and wearing glasses, on the cusp of needing braces.

I’m not bothering you from your Nancy-Drew-reading, supposed-to-be-reading-The-Odyssey evening just to tell you that time flies by and you better enjoy it. Because the truth is, over the next 20 years, time will sometimes crawl by, and you will want to hurry up already and get to the next stage of life.

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I turn 35 this weekend. Whaaa? When did that happen? I’m pretty sure I just graduated from college and backpacked around Europe. And don’t I drink Dr. Pepper without feeling gross for days and still go to concerts that start at 10 pm?

Oh wait, I’ve been married a decade and have three kids.

Confession: I LOVE my thirties. Love, love, love them. I’ll take 35 over 25 any day. I’ve felt so much more confident in my own skin, I’m much more aware of how things work, I enjoy the freedom in responsibility, and I’m better at accepting my limitations.

I still feel like a kid, yes, but each year has gotten better and better. My forties are gonna be amazing.

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