Hey you!

Don't ask me where I've been, because honestly, I have no idea. We've had a lot of changes going on at our church the past couple of months, as well as getting into the rhythm of fall. I think that things are making a turn for the better.

I started running again this week. It's cold out there, fortunately, I have enough of the right gear to be comfortable for the time being. Today was a really nice time, God and I had a serious talk and he pointed out some things that I had been believing and by things I mean lies I tell myself. It's kind of tough to run when your on the verge of sobbing, but I made it through. One of my best times of exercise ever, I can't wait to go out again.

We're almost completely immersed into the unschooling way of life. I have a few vestiges of thoughts, but it has been pretty amazing to see the things that my daughter has taught herself that I thought would need formal education to achieve. Simple things like multiplication and reading a clock (an analog version) she's picked up on her own. I can't say that unschooling is my favorite, because it loved playing school as a child, but it works best for my kid at this time, so we're doing it.

I haven't been very crafty lately. In fact, I have about three started but unfinished projects to do and a ton more unstarted projects stored around the house. Hope to get those done soon, maybe for Christmas.

I have been making food, lots and lots of food lately. I took some time off this past week or so, I think it's about time to start making dinners again. Tonight, I'm thinking Yaki Soba or beans and rice. I also have a pumpkin pecan cake on my agenda!

I guess I can tell you a bit more about church. Children's spiritual education is a tough sell in this culture. A lot of churches have turned to creating programs that rival Disney cruises for entertainment value. They do a great job of introducing kids to Jesus and drawing families into churches. As a smaller church, that's not always an option. We just don't have the man power to set up and take down light shows with smoke machines every week. So we don't have a lot of families, because in some ways what we have to offer is more like a Norman Rockwell painting than an Andy Warhol. We're singing hymns not "What does fox say?" And that can be a tough sell, especially when it feels like a ghost town during some of our youth oriented events. Not that we've even had anyone kicking the tires of our program. I can't tell you the last time someone we didn't personally know came to our church and placed their kid in our Sunday School program, but then we've only been there four years. These past couple of months, God has been walking us through saying goodbye to some really wonderful programs. It's been sad to see them go. But the group that is in charge of these things is continuing to move forward and is trying to find what works best for our kids. So in some ways spiritual education for or kids at church has fallen into a very similar place as our homeschooling for me. It's not the thing I would love best, but it works for our kids, so we are going to give it a go.

How about you? What have you been up to lately?