It's been really quiet around here lately. Partly because it's summertime, and we've been living the usual hot weather, crazy life that one does with kids in the summer months.
But also because things have been changing.
This is the last post for A Nest in the Rocks at this address - we're moving!
I've been wanting to make this change for a while now, but My Big Helper has been up to something pretty awesome, and so she sparked this change. You can find out more about her newest endeavor at the new site A Nest in the Rocks.
The Nest has a new look, and it's organized a bit differently, as well, but you'll find more faith-based, home, hearth, and education posts there. There are several new recipes on the way that I'm excited to share, and I have lots of book club ideas and field trip events to tell you about, too. You'll find some new Midweek Mission ideas to do with your kids, and there are exciting books to be reviewed soon.
There's also a BIG giveaway in the works and coming soon, so check out our new site, find your way around, and be ready to enter to WIN some really exciting prizes.
Sharing our stories of home, hearth, and health as we build our nest in the rocks
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
New See the Light Special & Giveaway!
Guess what? Our most popular set is on sale for the months of July and August.
Have the life of Moses come alive for your family!
GOD’S Special Surprise DELUXE GIFT SET is on special during the month of July and August!
Included:
Families will thrill to the love and faith required of a mother desperate to save her baby boy from certain death. Children and adults will admire the bravery of a sister who dared to speak-up to a powerful princess. It’s the dramatic story of baby Moses, God’s Special Surprise to the Israelites, brought to life through art and sound. This story builds the faith of children and encourages obedience to the Word of God.
- DVD w/ 285 minutes of content
- black light
- fluorescent pencils
- fluorescent chalkuary
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Family, Community, and a Free Episode of Adventures in Odyssey
For a limited time, you can listen to a new episode of Adventures in Odyssey for FREE! Album 58, The Ties that Bind, will be available this fall for digital download and CD purchase, but if you join the Odyssey Adventures Club, you can listen to the full album now! Guess what? The $5 special held last month was extended through the end of July, too, so you can join in the fun for only $5! Here's what part one is about (which you can listen to for free HERE):
It’s a time of surprises as Wooton becomes the celebrity guest at Comic-Connellsville and Whit finds himself in conflict over the upcoming “Let’s Get Together Festival” in Odyssey. Plus, hear an interview with writer-director Paul McCusker about the entire 14-part series.Album 58 was inspired by Focus on the Family’s The Family Project, a 12-session small group experience that explores the theological, philosophical, and cultural underpinnings of the traditional family, and combines that information with inspiring stories and practical tools to help 21st-century families thrive. One way families can carry out God's design for families is by serving their community—right where God has planted them, being His hands and feet together. Want to serve your community with your family, maybe make a day of out it? Here are some fantastic ideas from some Adventures in Odyssey bloggers and club members:
- Make scarves through the year and deliver them to your local homeless shelter at the start of winter, or regularly donate food to your local food bank. —Shirley
- Our family likes to help with Meals on Wheels. We also do reenactments of the Civil War and WWII to help educate people on history. I like to show my kids that we should be servers and givers by taking meals to people who need them (i.e. baby just born, someone died, someone had surgery, etc.). —Erin
- We have been visiting a nursing home with friends once a month. The kids just sing and then we fellowship, but the ladies love it! —Lisa
- We make lap blankets for nursing home residents and take the time to visit with them. We also collect food for the local food pantry. —Donna
- We make blessing bags to give to the homeless when we encounter them. We also donate clothes and food to a local shelter. —Amy
- Our MOPs (Mothers of Prechoolers) group supports our local Pregnancy Support Services with donations, gifts, and notes. We also supports the Durham Rescue Mission, which helps people break free from addictions and restore families. —Melissa
- We live in a very rural area. Our church serves two of the poorest zip codes in the state, and about a decade ago, they started operating a food pantry out of a closet. It has expanded since then, so we now use the closet for storage, but the pantry is basically a classroom. The kids and I serve over there a lot. My 17-year-old and I go to Care & Share (50 miles away) to get food to bring back to the pantry. All of us help unload and stock shelves. On pantry days, everyone can get involved with helping people go through the line, playing with the kids, carrying boxes out to cars, etc. There are so many hungry folks, especially in the summer when school breakfasts and lunches aren't available, and helping a bit to put food on some tables is such a blessing for us all. —Debra
- We pack food bags each month for the homeless and needy through a thrift store that offers an outreach to the community. We also help clean our church and our Sunday school. —Michele
- We work through our AHG troop to do several service activities a year. My girls just recently made bracelets they are selling, which 100% of the profits goes to Hope House in Africa to help young girls. —Sarah
- Our church works with a homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta. We cook food ahead of time, and when our schedules allow we ride down with the group to serve the food. My son always reminds me when we haven't been for awhile, so it's something he looks forward to. —Maria
- We do lots of random acts of kindnesses within our community: pay for others' meals, leave change at a vending machine, hand out Gatorade/granola bars to people on the side of the road asking for food. We also love to support Mobile Loaves and Fishes. —Kathryn
Friday, July 11, 2014
Staying Cool & Other Crazy News
I've been rather quiet around here lately. Partly because we've been exceptionally busy - more about that later - but partly because they're some big news in the works for the Nest. I hope to be able to tell you all the details soon, but know that it involves a giveaway, an announcement, and some other fun stuff.
Why slow the pace now?
We haven't been home much.
My Little Man made the All-Star team with Little League here in town. My husband is one of his coaches. They practice for several hours at a shot, three times a week, and in the midst of the heat waves we've had lately, it's been a big deal. My Little Man has learned a lot and improved, though, and they're having a blast. With the first tournament this weekend, the pace isn't slowing soon.
My Big Helper and I have been doing some artsy things during our baseball exile. She also hosted her annual lemonade stand this past weekend, and we all spent weeks in preparation. We'll tell you more about that soon, too.
In the meantime, I do have some exciting news! One of our games has been featured over at She Knows - and you can go here to check it out for a fun way to stay cool this summer.
What's your favorite way to beat the heat?
Why slow the pace now?
We haven't been home much.
My Little Man made the All-Star team with Little League here in town. My husband is one of his coaches. They practice for several hours at a shot, three times a week, and in the midst of the heat waves we've had lately, it's been a big deal. My Little Man has learned a lot and improved, though, and they're having a blast. With the first tournament this weekend, the pace isn't slowing soon.
My Big Helper and I have been doing some artsy things during our baseball exile. She also hosted her annual lemonade stand this past weekend, and we all spent weeks in preparation. We'll tell you more about that soon, too.
In the meantime, I do have some exciting news! One of our games has been featured over at She Knows - and you can go here to check it out for a fun way to stay cool this summer.
What's your favorite way to beat the heat?
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Hearts for Home Blog Hop - July 10, 2014
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.
The most clicked-on post from last week was Back Porch Chicken Coop Tour.
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
- Grilling on a Stick - 20 Kebab Recipes
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link
back to this one. Happy hopping!
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Please share your family friendly posts with us!
By linking up you agree that if your blog post is selected to be featured on any of our hosts' blogs that we can use an image from your post with a link back to your post.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Summer Activities for Adventures in Odyssey Fans
Summer is officially here! Don't let your kids' boredom run rampant. Adventures in Odyssey is here to save the day. Below are some must-try ideas for summer fun! Want even more summer fun? For the month of June, you can join the Odyssey Adventure Club for only $5! More details can be found here.
Summer Activities
As a parent you are probably a big proponent of reading. Encourage your kids to dig into a book or two this summer with Adventures in Odyssey's On Your Marks Summer Reading Challenge. Bonus points if YOU create a reading challenge for yourself as you read along with your kids!Looking for something hands-on? Create Matthew in 3-D! Invite a few of your kids' friends over for a play date, print off the activity sheet, and let them have at it for the afternoon (with the promise of cookies and lemonade once they've finished constructing Matthew).
Maybe your kids aren't into reading, but they love math. If that's the case, have them solve Eugene's Sudoku!
The laundry needs to be done; the dishes need to be put away. But your kids are begging you to take them out to the zoo. Let them take a whack at Matthew's Decoder in the morning, then make an agreement that if they figure out how to use the decoder, you'll take them on an afternoon adventure. That'll give you the morning to finish up your to-do list!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
A MOTHER’S SECRET | Kindle Fire giveaway from @AmyClipston
Don't miss the newest offering in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series from Amy Clipston, A Mother's Secret. An unwed Amish woman yearns for real love and a family. The only thing in her way is the shame she’s been carrying for half of her life. The novel received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times and was chosen as a Top Pick.
Amy is celebrating with a Kindle Fire giveaway.
One winner will receive:
Amy is celebrating with a Kindle Fire giveaway.
- A Kindle Fire
- Books 1 and 2 in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series, A Hopeful Heart and A Mother's Secret.
Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Amy's blog on July 7th to see if you won.
Hearts for Home Blog Hop - July 3, 2014
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.
The most clicked-on post from last week was Homeschool Socialization.
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
- 4th of July crafts and activities for kids
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link
back to this one. Happy hopping!
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Please share your family friendly posts with us!
By linking up you agree that if your blog post is selected to be featured on any of our hosts' blogs that we can use an image from your post with a link back to your post.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Orkin Bug Wisdom Backyard Explorers Kit *Giveaway*
Bugs are not exactly my thing. Definitely not bugs that I can't identify.
On the other hand, My Big Helper and My Little Man are fascinated with bugs. They build houses for them, watch how they move, and spend lots of time figuring out what they are.
Orkin can help you with that.
When life hands you dung, just roll with it.
At Orkin, we
never stop learning. Our new “Bug Wisdom” video series is a reminder
that some of life’s biggest lessons come from small places. Bugs are
smart, curious creatures – we humans can learn a lot from their ways.
Take the quiz to
discover your “Spirit Bug,” and check out all the GIFs to soak in every
nugget of wisdom that these bugs have to offer!
The Orkin Man
always knows what to look for when he shows up at your home. If you want
to get exploration down to a science, be sure and enter to win Orkin’s
Backyard Explorers Kit!
Orkin Backyard Explorers Kit:
- The Orkin 9-Page Activity Bug Book
- Orkin Bugview Bug Catching Tool and Magnifier
- Red/Black Summer Wayfarer Sunglasses
- The Orkin 9-Page Activity Bug Book
- Orkin Bugview Bug Catching Tool and Magnifier
- Red/Black Summer Wayfarer Sunglasses
@AskTheOrkinMan
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http://www.orkin.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/
http://www.orkin.com/
Friday, June 27, 2014
FOREVER AMISH from Kate Lloyd! Enter to win a Kindle and an Amish-made prize pack!
The latest book in Kate Lloyd's Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish, introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.
Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!
One winner will receive:
Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!
One winner will receive:
- A brand new Kindle Fire
- A Qillow (A pillow with a lovely surprise inside! It opens to a 40” X 60” quilt ideal for traveling, sports events, and home.)
- A Center Diamond wall hanging (Hand-stitched by Old Order Amish quilter Emma Stoltzfus of E.S. Quilts in Lancaster, PA. It measures 42” x 42” and is a traditional Old Order Amish design.)
- Darling Amish-made faceless dolls (Hand-crafted in Lancaster County, PA. Each measures 12 inches and is individually named. Meet Martha and Henry!)
- Forever Amish and the rest of the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy by Kate Lloyd
Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by Kate's blog on July 1st to see if you won!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
SEAGRASS PIER | Pre-order @ColleenCoble’s NEW book for just $4.99. Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
Don’t miss Colleen Coble‘s latest release in the Hope Beach series, Seagrass Pier. The book releases July 1st, and Colleen's publisher is offering the ebook at a special pre-order price of just $4.99 between now and 6/30 everywhere ebooks are sold.
PLUS . . . between 6/9 – 6/30 Colleen will be hosting a Kindle giveaway.
One winner will receive:
PLUS . . . between 6/9 – 6/30 Colleen will be hosting a Kindle giveaway.
- A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
- Seagrass Pier and the rest of the Hope Beach series by Colleen Coble
Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by Colleen's blog on July 1st to see if you won!
Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 26, 2014
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.
The most clicked-on post from last week was Fun Summer Reading for Girls.
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
- Fun Summer Reading List for Girls
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link
back to this one. Happy hopping!
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Please share your family friendly posts with us!By linking up you agree that if your blog post is selected to be featured on any of our hosts' blogs that we can use an image from your post with a link back to your post.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Get Your "Life with Lily" Literature Activities Now!
Enter the current giveaway here.
It's time!
If you've been wanting to host your own kiddie book club or start holding literature circles with your family or in your classroom, I've got a great place for you to start:
It's time!
If you've been wanting to host your own kiddie book club or start holding literature circles with your family or in your classroom, I've got a great place for you to start:
This book makes the best book club events! Lily is mischievous, adventurous, and fun. Her family provides wise counsel in response to her adventures, and because she's a young Amish girl, the possibilities for fun activities are endless. Lily bakes, sews, has animal adventures, and is involved in lots of science experiments. You won't lack for fun projects with Lily around - and my new Literature Response packet has more than 25 activities, recipes, hyperlinks, and projects to keep the Lily fun - and the Lily learning- coming.
You can find the brand new Life with Lily Literature Response activities here - and don't forget to enter to win a copy of A Surprise for Lily's Literature Response activities!
Mid-Week Missions: Kids in the Church
Serving is important. Mission work is important. I see blog posts all the time listing varieties of ways for our kids to be mission minded and to think of others first.
Those are all good things. Great things.
But if we want to keep them in church, then they need to be involved in church.
Church leaders don't just pop up out of nowhere. They must learn to lead. Their talents must be groomed. They must practice and learn.
Think about it: We don't throw concert pianists at a baby grand and expect Mozart. We don't throw brain surgeons into the OR and wish them "Good luck!"
So we should be teaching our children the ways of faith, too - and that includes how to serve within the church.
(I realize that different denominations handle this issue in different ways. Some churches are very strict about who performs certain tasks within the church. I do not mean to hop into that fray.)
Our children see us working within the church. I work with kids' ministries and help to plan events, and my husband serves in one of those after-hours, banking-so-the-lights-stay-on kind of roles, and they help us. Sometimes that means that they stamp envelopes for him as he works, or they help me rearrange tables and set up for events.
But one Sunday I realized that they were ready for more.
Our pastor was explaining that we needed volunteers to do all sorts of things around the church: mow the yard, run the sound board, fold bulletins, assist with Communion, read scripture, etc.
The words read scripture jumped out at me. I've got two excellent readers in my house. They are certainly capable of doing that task.
At first both resisted. Stand up and read in front of the whole church? No way!
But after some thought, My Big Helper asked to volunteer.
She's now in the regular rotation of readers for our church. She opens the service with a call-and-response type reading from the Psalms, and she does a great job.
One day she'll try out something else. She might try those other jobs - assisting with Communion, folding bulletins, singing in the choir. She's learning to put her faith into action publicly. To stand in front of other people and speak. To accept responsibility for a job from someone other than us.
She's learning that we all have talents and gifts to give to Jesus' body. That the Church needs all of us. That our gifts are meant to be shared. That we can all serve best when we work together.
What kinds of jobs might kids be able to do?
Maybe ....
- bulletin folding
- scripture reading
- acolyte
- assist with Communion
- help an adult to prepare the altar for Communion or to clean up afterwards
- make announcements
- ring bells
- sing in the choir
- provide special music
- serve as greeter
- serve as an usher
- pass out special bags or supplies to kids
- pass out bulletins
- run remote controls for audio-visual equipment
- give children's sermons
- help in the nursery
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
GratiTuesday - Girly Art Time
My Little Man has been out and about a lot lately. With basketball camp and baseball practices in full swing, he's been hard at work - which means that My Big Helper and I have had lots of time to ourselves.
Last week she decided that we needed to paint. We pulled out canvases and our art supplies and got to work.
Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous, we took our supplies out to the deck and sat in the shade while designing our paintings.
I've never painted on a canvas before, though I've often wanted to. It was fun to hang out together, mixing and blending and dabbing.
My Big Helper has painted on several canvases but has only rarely blended colors, and since that's my very favorite part of painting, we talked through different ways to do that while she worked on her latest sunflower project.
It was a fun afternoon. It was fun to pull out the art supplies and fun to relax and be creative and fun to spend that time with My Big Helper.
Sometimes, those pockets of time created by sports or other random activities are my very favorite things - because then I get focused time with one child or the other.
I love that.
For more GratiTuesday, visit Heavenly Homemakers.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Odyssey Adventure Club – join today for just $5!
For a limited time, you can join HERE for only $5 (regular monthly membership costs $15 for up to six users)!
Families will be able to stream the Adventures in Odyssey library, plus listen to exclusive new monthly episodes. Busy families will find 24/7 access to the content through the Odyssey Adventure Club mobile iPhone app.
Children can also read daily devotions, interact with hands-on activities and view video documentaries featuring a behind-the-scenes look into the production of the Adventures in Odyssey stories. Parents can feel confident their children are safe on the Odyssey Adventure Club website — Focus on the Family staff will be monitoring all comments before they’re publicly posted.
A portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership will benefit Focus on the Family partner relief organizations, including Christian Veterinary Mission, Operation Christmas Child and Compassion International. This provides parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of giving and serving others.
Coming in July, Odyssey Adventure Club members get to listen to the brand new album, "The Ties That Bind," FIRST before it's available ANYWHERE ELSE!
Click here to join for only $5!
Want more summer activities for your kids inspired by the Odyssey Adventure Club? Check out this post.Friday, June 20, 2014
Guest Posting & A Giveaway!
I love to read. I think books are such wonderful pathways to adventure and learning that we spend a lot of time reading here - for fun and for school. Usually those two purposes become pretty blurred, because school can be really fun.
One of the ways that we play around with books is to hold monthly book club events. I say "event" because this is no round-robin discussion. We don't sip tea and nibble on cucumber sandwiches while secretly wishing that it were over already.
Instead, we do what the characters in our stories do - and one of our favorite characters of all time is Lily Lapp.
Why is she so special? I'm guest-posting today over on Suzanne Woods Fisher's blog about that. She's the author behind The Adventures of Lily Lapp series. Hop on over here and find how to start your own - or kick the adventure up a few notches - in your kids' book club.
I'm also writing book club guides to accompany our favorite stories. The first is now available in my TpT store. These packets include everything that you need to host a great book club event with your kids. You can find out more here.
Want to win one of your own? Use the widget below and enter to win your own "Response Activities for A Surprise for Lily."
One of the ways that we play around with books is to hold monthly book club events. I say "event" because this is no round-robin discussion. We don't sip tea and nibble on cucumber sandwiches while secretly wishing that it were over already.
Instead, we do what the characters in our stories do - and one of our favorite characters of all time is Lily Lapp.
Why is she so special? I'm guest-posting today over on Suzanne Woods Fisher's blog about that. She's the author behind The Adventures of Lily Lapp series. Hop on over here and find how to start your own - or kick the adventure up a few notches - in your kids' book club.
I'm also writing book club guides to accompany our favorite stories. The first is now available in my TpT store. These packets include everything that you need to host a great book club event with your kids. You can find out more here.
Want to win one of your own? Use the widget below and enter to win your own "Response Activities for A Surprise for Lily."
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 19, 2014
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.
The most clicked-on post from last week was Finding Joy in the Unexpected.
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
- 8 open-ended play ideas your kids will love!
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link
back to this one. Happy hopping!
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Wednesday, June 18, 2014
"A Surprise for Lily" Response Activities Are Here!
I love sharing fun and educational ideas with you.
I love great books even more.
That's why Suzanne Woods Fisher's Adventures of Lily Lapp series is so wonderful for kids: it's a high-quality story with wise characters, fun adventures, and brimming over with learning opportunities that are fun for everyone.
I realize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for digging into a book and finding all the great things that you can do with it, so I've done it for you! New in my TpT store tonight are sixteen pages of science, cooking, sewing, history, discussion, art, and mission activities that are all pulled from A Surprise for Lily. Everything that you need to host a kids' book club, literature group, unit study, or family read aloud time is here.
By digging into the story literally and trying your hand at Lily's activities, your child will be able to relate to Lily much better. Your child will be able to understand Lily's choices and discuss her trials and triumphs with you. S/he'll be able to compare his/her life with Lily's from a knowledgeable perspective - and you might just discover some new talents at the same time.
So hop on over to my TpT store and check out Responses to "A Surprise for Lily" for yourself!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
GratiTuesday - Walking Away
My Little Man isn't so little anymore, but he's always been with me. He's my buddy.
We go to the store and on field trips together. We snuggle and read books and gather rocks and plant the garden together.
Because I worked in a preschool, he's even been with me there - in the room next door or in my own classroom.
Until this week.
This week he chose to go to basketball camp, a half-day camp happening at our local high school. It's a skills-based camp for boys, and since he played his first season of basketball this past winter, he loves the sport.
So for the first time ever, he's getting up early and getting dropped off somewhere. Without us.
It's rather difficult to watch him carry his new water cooler up the steps and through those big doors, but then his face lights up when he finds a friend, and he takes off across the gym floor to join in a game until camp starts.
This is our role as parents. This raising and teaching and discipling and preparing for the leaving. As much as we revel and stress in the everyday, the point of it all is to prepare them to leave. To leave us confidently and strong, ready to follow Jesus into the unknown of their futures.
So this basketball camp is an important step. It's nearby and only a few hours and he probably won't encounter anything dangerous (yay!) but he's on his own. Sure, it's a controlled environment, but it won't always be that way. This is his chance to be a man of character when Mommy isn't looking. To learn the consequences of his actions (I pray they're good ones) and to take responsibility for them.
It's just basketball camp, but it's so much more.
I'm glad that he's ready. I'm glad that he wants to take this step. It's hard to see him walk away, but it's necessary. Walking away now will help him be prepared to walk away towards bigger, more important things.
So while I'm rather sad to see him leaving, I'm thankful for that bounce in his step that tells me he's ready for this. That he's not scared. That he's ready to go and make new friends and try new things.
This hard parenting thing - we're seeing some fruit this week.
And it's good.
What are your kids involved in this summer? And how goes it?
For more GratiTuesday, visit Heavenly Homemakers.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Hearts for Home Blog Hop - June 12, 2014
Introducing ... the Hearts for Home Blog Hop! A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which means that every Thursday you'll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.
The most clicked-on post from last week was Why I Deleted Over Half My Facebook Friends.
Some of my favorite posts from last week were:
- Visit to Ben Franklin Nat'l Memorial & Institute
If your post is listed above, please grab one of our 'Featured Blogger' buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.
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