Life is precious

Today is my hubby's birthday (I started writing this on his birthday, and finished it almost two weeks later, and then accidentally deleted it and am now republishing it). I have long thought about the various factors that had to come together just right so the two of us would meet. However, just recently I was made aware of the fragile circumstances that actually brought him to this world.
Dumb me, I thought I was the only one who could have never been born. I knew my in-laws had issues, and that is why they divorced, but I really never knew that if just one decision would have been different, my husband wouldn't be here.
My father-in-law proposed to his current wife when they were younger, and she accepted. My stepmother-in-law is a military brat, so during one of their moves, she chose to tell my father-in-law he needed to date other people just to make sure he wasn't settling for her. (In the interest of full disclosure, two of my aunts and one cousin married their high-school sweethearts and are still together, many years later, so I have a soft spot for meeting your mate when you are young and sticking it out.) It was only because of that break-up that my in-laws even met and married. (MiMi, my stepmother-in-law, was never able to experience a live birth of a child of her own.)
Just think, if MiMi had never decided my father-in-law needed to date other people, my husband would never have been born.
Many times, when we look at those in our lives, we have no idea the multiple factors that had to fall into place just right to bring them here. Life is so precious, and could be gone in the blink of an eye.
I have experienced several miscarriages, so I know how fragile even pregnancy can be, then to compound that with the fragility of any relationship, and it is incredible to me sometimes to imagine that the world is as populated as it is.
God knew us while we were yet in our mother's womb. God has plans for us. We may fight those plans at times, but He will consistently show us opportunities to fulfill His plan for our life.
I have long believed God planned for my husband and I to be together. He may not have planned the broken road that got us to where we are, but He knew just what it would take to bring us together, and never gave up.
God has plans for everyone around us. Believe me, there are times when someone is frustrating me, I think God really has no clue what He is doing bringing this person into my life, but He does. There is never a time someone is brought into my life as an accident, and just their very existence is no accident either.
When someone is frustrating you, remember, there is a reason, and their life, no matter how frustrating to you at this point, is fragile. Just one change and they may not exist. Just one change and you would not have the chance to learn and grow from this encounter.
Life is precious, and God has a purpose for all of us.

"I am glad I am homeschooled."

I had a lot of things flowing in my head unable to find the time to get the ideas from my head to this white surface. I have really been trying to be purposeful about what I share. Then, the horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook happened. When I woke up from my nap (I was asleep when it happened), the first words from my daughter's mouth were, "I am glad I am homeschooled. I don't ever want to go to a public school again."
I don't share that because homeschooling is the answer for everyone, believe me it is hard work. I don't share that because I feel we are somehow safe, I know tragedy can happen anywhere to anyone. I share her words only because they were her words in response to the saddening news (she was literally crying about it). I struggled with sharing her words, and keep coming back to them.
While I am glad she expressed those feelings, and feels bad for the families, I know there will come a point those feelings will fade. At some point, most of America will forget the tragedy, and only remember it when it is brought up later. This tragedy will change several families forever, but not all of us. At some point the same old family arguments will happen throughout the country, we will forget just how quickly things can change.
I struggled sharing anything on the tragedy because I struggle with the why. I don't understand why no matter what your issue is with your parents or your mental issues, why take that out on innocence. So many innocent lives have been taken, and blame is placed on so many things. Why did this happen?
This morning I heard Mike Huckabee say (I will quote as best I can), "How can we hope to have a moral society in a Godless vacuum?" How true. No matter how little sense we will ever make of this tragedy, I have to remember this Godless vacuum so many are pushing for is one of the reasons I always wanted to homeschool. How can anyone expect children to have a heart for others if they are in a electronic induced fantasy world filled with selfishness and slaughter? No, that is not a slam on video games in entirety. However, so many parents allow video games, television, computers, and public school to take the place of any sort of family time.
Why do we homeschool? Yes it is because we drive a truck, but so much more. We homeschool because I have long believed this education system is failing our children. I believe the cliches that I remember only in middle and high school have invaded the elementary schools and with it the sexual promiscuity that does not belong. We homeschool because we want to be together. We homeschool for these reasons and so many more. Every day we are reminded of why we do this, and become more thankful we do.
While my daughter can be hugged daily, so can most others. Hug your children. Teach them to be moral. Spend time with them. Pray with them. Pray for them. There are families who cannot do these things any longer. The most important thing we can ever give our children is our time, and they deserve more of our time and our prayers.