Because of Love

The other day my daughter asked, "Why am I home schooled?"

"Because I love you,"  was my answer.

But as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them.

I realized that if my daughter followed my logic to its end, she might believe that the parents who love their children home school and then assume that parents who don't love their children, don't home school.

Yikes. 

So I had to backtrack.

"Norah, if I didn't know how to teach you at home, would it be loving to keep you out of school?" 

"No."

"If you were suffering lack, going without things you need, and I could go to work and provide those things, wouldn't it be loving for me to do that?"

"Yes."

"So I stay home and use my gifts here out of love. Another mom with different gifts sends her kids to school because she loves them. And another mom, out of love, goes to work and provides for her family. So parents can make opposite decisions for the exact same reason: love."

Scrambled Eggs and Provolone Over Spinach

You will need:
1 Tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh spinach (At least 3 ounces)
One egg
A slice of provolone

1. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a deep skillet and turn the heat on medium-high. Fill the skillet with spinach, really pile it in there because spinach shrinks a lot as it wilts.

2. Stir the spinach on and off as it wilts. When it's wilted, transfer it to a plate.

 3. Keep the pan off the burner and let the pan cool off for half a minute.  Turn the heat down to low then crack an egg in the skillet and scramble it as it cooks. 

4. Bunch the egg together and put a slice of provolone on just until it melts.  Then transfer the eggs and cheese to your bed of greens.

  

5. Salt it to taste and enjoy!

Our "Whys" Make All the Difference

This picture is going around Facebook and I've had conflicting feelings about it. At first, this mom appeared to me to be reinforcing negative cultural messages like being heavy should be avoided at all costs, that being pretty or worse, sexy, is power and influence women should strive for, that people aren't worthy of love unless they are perfect, that aging is bad, etc. I think all the fashion magazines at the checkout and advertisements on television have put me on the defense. 

But, on the other hand, I see how this picture can be inspiring.  Children should see parents modeling good choices and healthy lifestyles and they need to know that real life won't always be accommodating to their goals, even their most worthy ones.  You have to work for what you want wherever and whenever you find the opportunity, even if it's on the middle of your living room floor.

My daughters watch me work out because they are always with me.  My four year old has a little baseball bat that she uses to mimic what I do with my bar and barbells. When I first noticed her behind me, mimicking me, I was afraid, afraid she was learning all the things I had to unlearn since I grew up in this culture.  But I realized that I am not teaching her or letting her be taught all our culture's ideas about beauty, so I relaxed and have come to think it's adorable that she exercises with me.  

I pursued and continue to pursue health out of obedience to the Lord, so He will receive glory for working in that area of my life, so I can be strong and useful to Him, and because I have discovered that I just really enjoy healthy food and exercise.  (In yet another area of life, God has taught me to love what's good for me.) I have no doubt that when my daughters probe and probe, and they do probe already, that those reasons are the reasons they will find behind what their mom is doing.  Those are my "whys," truly.

I'm not sure what the mom in this picture's reasons are.  But I believe our "whys" make all the difference for the little eyes watching us.