Summer Crunch

1. Really nailed down our curriculum picks for the year (thanks to HOTM for their yearly "Not back to school blog hop" kick in the pants) along with a shopping list.

2. I also started putting together our memory work for the year. I'm using stuff from Living Memory, MP study guides, IEW's poetry. Since the kids are doing a World History overview I am making my own "major conflicts" flash cards using google images. We'll also be doing both history and bible cards from Veritas Press, poetry level III from IEW, Latin and science. That might be enough.

3. Construction central this week. We finished the art clips, 2nd library cart, cubbie bookshelves and...

4.....TA DA, the porch! I really, really have to figure out how to scan the pictures from the fire so that I can do before and after pics that show the real before (before we ionized, kilzed, bleached, drywalled and otherwise thoroughly sanitized every.stinking  (literally)centimeter  of the place. Otherwise check back tomorrow for pics cause I want to get it put together before I start snapping photos of it.

5. Had a blast at a free Go Fish concert this past Wednesday, complete with Dave the Horn Guy (unbelievable creative)and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. I'm a bandie and choir nerd from way back and this is my kind of music. Great stuff

The theme of the concert was to bless folks with family friendly free music. Go Fish self describes as "the Christian Wiggles." Whatever. Good clean fun with music that rocks.

6. It's been a Jane themed summer as Flower has been watching Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion as often as I'll let her. She does a GREAT imitation of several of the characters. Once we're done with the Little House series I think we'll take a turn with Jane by book.

7. "The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified. So, the community of the cross is a community of celebration, a Eucharistic community, ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The Christian life is an unending festival." John Stott

Two instances this week of fellow believers who live in completely different parts of the country who deliberately withdrew the hand of fellowship from a brother or sister in Christ with no explanation, no word, nada. I laugh cynically. Does one forget that we'll be spending eternity together? How will we avoid each other then?

Gossip and offense is more the norm within the church than unending festivities. It's no wonder to me that the body isn't healing, saving, witnessing, delivering. We are so war torn from within, willy-nilly doing damage to each other and the testimony of Christ by our own unwillingness to confront in love, live sacrificially and show gratitude to each other. The church has become a business and as a result we've failed at the business of the cross. Do we have to choose between shallow uninvovlement and burning offense?!

I think often of the line in Narnia when the White Witch goes to Azlan to demand the blood of Edmund,"You have a traitor among you!" Azlan responds, "His offense was not against you." And yet so often people are offended for each other. Maybe it's the years of counseling my husband has done but we are both so keenly aware that there is always more than one side of the story and communication problems are the purview of the enemy. 

It's not comfortable- going to someone and asking them if I've offended them in any way. I've done it a couple of times, far more if you count family members. It is not on my list of fav things to do. On 2 occasions the person I was talking to said something to the effect that, "oh no, everything is just fine." Words are cheap, though, and behaviorally nothing changed. Still the same avoidant behavior, the same lack of connection. It boils down to uunwillingness to do hard things and live ones faith out loud. argh.

So, yeah, I'd like to get to the place of unending festival. Anyone else find the addy? lmk.

P.S. Don't forget to stop by HOTM on Monday!