Round One

I remember the day my son got his braces on. He did not want them. I was overwhelmed at the idea and had no idea what to expect. However, he needed them, our insurance helped to cover them, and on they went.

During the course of treatment, his gums began to cover the brackets, and the orthodontist referred him to a periodontal specialist. While I waited anxiously, my son underwent gum surgery to trim them back to size.

I shared in his excitement when at last the braces were removed and he could eat crunchy, chewy things again. He has always been faithful in wearing his retainers and has beautiful, straight teeth.

Round Two

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When I was eleven years old, I looked on in awe as an office secretary typed a letter to a client. How her fingers could fly! I wanted to learn to type like that!

Unfortunately, my parents insisted I wait a few years until I could be properly instructed. I had to wait until high school, but it was worth the wait; I became one of the best typists in the class, and I can still type seventy words per minute with a fair amount of accuracy.

Last summer my twin daughters told me they wanted to learn how to touch type. Because they often use computers to write, I agreed. But how would I teach them?

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After completing eighth grade in the fall semester, my 13 year old daughter was excited to start in on high school work. Planning out her academic coursework was easy, but what about electives?

I explained to my daughter that simply completing the main subjects—English, Math, Science, and History—this semester will not automatically make her a tenth grader in the fall. She also needs to complete a couple electives. We started to brainstorm some ideas.

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The Test

Last Friday I traded places with a stranger. I stepped out of the passenger seat, and the DMV evaluator climbed in.

From the front of the building, I watched my son easily maneuver Dad’s car around the parking lot in forward and reverse, breeze in and out of the parallel parking spot, and effortlessly back into a traditional parking spot. When he drove out of the parking lot for the road portion of his driving test, I stepped into the building to await his return. He appeared to do a great job on the test course, but what would the official score say? Would he make a mistake on the road that would prevent him from getting his license today?

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In six short weeks, my oldest daughter may be traveling to Taiwan for three months and then to another country for two additional months. Though we will certainly miss her, my husband and I are both encouraging her to go. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with our desire for God’s best in her life.

We have mentioned the option to our daughter several times since she graduated a year and a half ago - DTS (Discipleship Training School) with YWAM (Youth With a Mission). The program for high school graduates includes three months of discipleship training followed by two to three months of outreach in a foreign country. She could attend a DTS anywhere in the world. She has chosen Taiwan.

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Does your high school student spend hours drawing, taking pictures, caring for young children, or writing computer programs? Does she enjoy reading about a particular topic or participating in an interesting activity? Does he need to log hours of exercise to satisfy a P.E. credit or certain number of driving hours before he gets his license?

Using Airtable, I created a chart that can help you stay organized.

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I can not believe my 13 year old started high school this month! Now that she has completed eighth grade in one semester, she has begun her next quest—to complete a year’s worth of high school before summer arrives.

Here is a quick peek at what she is studying this semester.

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I could not believe my ears! Last spring 13-year-old informed me she wanted to complete two grades of school this year. This is the same girl I frequently had to threaten with consequences or force to complete her work… the one who only did the bare minimum—less than that if she thought she could get away with it. If there was a shortcut, she could certainly find it!

Surely she did not know what she was getting herself into, did she? Was she mature enough to take on such a challenge? Would she be able to resist the temptation to take every possible shortcut? Should I let her attempt this unthinkable task?

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it’s not easy! Trusting God actually means surrendering control . Until recently, I did not even realize how much order and control I craved. Where did my desire for control even come from?

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Have you ever looked back in shock on recent events, wondering how in the world you made it through? That is exactly how I feel right now. I can’t believe all that happened in 2017.

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