I have been mulling this post by Becca over at Cedar Ring for quite some time now; in it she wrestles with “Holding The Image” after a childhood of being told she was riddled with sin.  In a summer where most of my reading has been “Defeating Sin:  Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever” by Orthodox Fr. Joseph David Honeycutt ( a good read for Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans  that delves into this subject) and “Listening For The Heartbeat of God:  A Celtic Sprituality” by Anglican Warden J. Philip Newell, and pondering this image of God within us and other spiritual matters, this seems an appropriate post to mull over.  You can read it for yourself here:  http://cedarringmama.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/protection-holding-the-image/

Shelia re-posted an intriguing article on “The Seven Lively Arts” which discusses the role of drama, movement, painting, drawing, modeling, speech and music in Waldorf homeschooling.  Be prepared to ponder where your family is in all of this.  Here is the link:  http://sureastheworld.com/2013/08/19/the-seven-lively-arts-part-1/

Elizabeth Foss always, always moves me and makes me think.  Here is her beautiful post about juggling the demands of nine children spread out in age, and how “Cease Driving” came to enter into her life:  http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2013/08/cease-driving.html  I have had much thought about this this summer as well, and shared my method of putting “X”’s in my calendar over days in my week on this blog.  I have limited my driving severely this summer, and have found peace in this.  My local neighborhood and church are a place of support and love, along with old friends….I have gratitude for this all, and I think many mothers are coming to the same conclusions that Elizabeth has come to, that I have come to…the value of what is in our own backyard.

We started our homeschool year yesterday with our  beautiful sixth and third graders and our sweet three-year-old, who just learned suddenly how to ride a bike with no training wheels within the past few days.  Everyone is comfortably and happily settling into our rhythm of fall.  I will have more to post on that hopefully soon…

And thank you to those of you who have sent me email and waited patiently for my replies.  I promise you all  that I think and meditate and pray and see what God sends to my head when I write you back.  So thank you for waiting for my thoughts.

Many blessings,
Carrie