September struggles

What I'm thankful for - all the leaves turning, the beautiful fall colors. This is my favorite time of year. A couple weekends ago the whole family went up to Vedauwoo to ride and we saw a moose and had fun discovering a whole chain of beaver ponds (that also somewhat confounded us, as we had to figure out a way to get across them to get back to the road!)  Here's a picture of my four girls with the wild jumble of rocks called Devil's Playground behind them.

This weekend my husband and I went for a trail ride, just the two of us, on my favorite fall trail (Happy Jack). The trees were peak color, and I was in complete bliss. I'm already trying to work out my schedule this week to get back up again here before the leaves are gone. I want to take the girls up here again and have them start a nature notebook.

What I'm struggling with - my teenage daughter (just turned 13). Some days we have a wonderful time going through the different books and materials for homeschool; other days it's a constant battle with either her sullen attitude or inability to focus. B. and I have talked it over, the two of us, and with her, and we've set guidelines for her to meet, and if she doesn't, she loses her privileges and computer/tablet time. It has really helped a lot. But I've had to learn to let keep my mouth shut and let the consequences teach her when she argues with me, instead of opening my mouth and arguing back.


What God is teaching me - I know He is teaching me to have faith and trust in Him through financial difficulties and these difficulties with my teenage daughter.  I NEED TO PRAY more! Need extra patience and grace so when she's full of attitude, I don't get puffed with attitude in response, too.

Where I am in the Word - our bible study group is studying Galatians this fall. I've been reading Galations 1 & 2 in several different translations, and find it especially interesting to read in the Message (MSG), a translation that I didn't used to like, but now like to read in parallel with NASB or NIV. Here's Gal 2:15,16 in MSG:

 We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

What I'm reading - Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola.  My neighbor lent me this book (and gave me lots of other books from her homeschool collection) and I'm loving it so much. This book gave me the idea to have the girls try a nature notebook. To hopefully be start of a love of nature and appreciation for God's creation.


What I'm watching - we recently watched God's Not Dead, and a couple of the scenes from that movie keep replaying in my head.  Here's a quote from it that I looked up: "Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn't want people turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any reason to leave. The door's wide open. Till one day time runs out and the door slams shut and suddenly it's too late to get out."

What I'm anticipating - a trip to Buffalo, NY: my hometown, in October. Since I don't have any family there, I haven't visited in almost 13 years!

What's inspiring me - help I've been getting from a published author on polishing the first ten pages of the book that I'm submitting to agents (she said she loved my story!). She also helped me revise my query letter too. I had an encouraging comment from one agent I submitted to over the summer, but form rejections from seven others. After help revising, I've just submitted to three more agents and I need to research some more to send to, also.  I've also been playing with ideas for a new writing project (since NaNoWriMo is coming up in just a little over a month.)