Family
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When Life Comes to an End
I have spent the last several weeks at the hospital sitting with my only living aunt on my dad’s side of the family while her husband was slowly dying. To say it was difficult would be an understatement. You see, any time you sit at a hospital for extended periods of time is very hard. It was hard to watch him losing his battle with illness, and it was hard to watch my aunt losing her husband of 64 years. They never had any children and were totally devoted to one another. As we watched his life slipping away day after day we began to talk about what he had done in…
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A Mother’s Memory
As part of my birthday joy, my oldest son let me preview his bulletin article that will be printed this coming Sunday. In it, he shares some memories he has of interactions in our backyard. This was precious to me as it let me know I did some things right as a young mother … definitely not everything, but some things. As special as his memories were to read, I couldn’t help but think of Mary and the verses in Luke 2, one of which reads, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart..” (v.19) That little boy, now a young man, has no idea how…
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The Last Day
On the day this post is being released, it will be the end of the academic year for our homeschool in 2023-2024. This one, though, is one we have seen coming from the beginning, because this is Mary Carol’s final last day of high school. (It is also her last day of homeschool…there’s no way Leah is going to homeschool her through college!) I don’t write this post to be overly sentimental. I write it as a reminder to us all: when you are around people, remember that they all have things on their minds–things that are affecting them–that you may not know. I have noticed that, as this day…
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Episode 169: Central Diggers Introduction [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Central_Diggers_Introduction_A_Legacy_of_Faith.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS (Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) A discussion with Adam and Mary Carol about Central Diggers, which was a program designed to teach children apologetics. This is the first of a two-part series on this great work.
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A Reminder from Pictures
When you have a senior, you have to look through pictures. Over the last few weeks, we have had two different “end of school” celebrations for Mary Carol. First, our homeschool co-op did a nice ceremony for the students who are graduating this year. Then, Central put together a very beautiful reception honoring our seniors. We appreciate both of these. Both of the ceremonies asked for pictures, so they could have a short slide show of each graduate. So, Leah and I scrolled through hundreds–okay, thousands–of pictures from the last 18 years. Many brought laughs. A few brought tears. But it was enjoyable to just take some time to go…
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A Tribute to Homeschooling Moms
It’s National Teacher Week, I’m told. (By the way, can anyone keep up with all these national days and weeks anymore? I feel like we’ve had about 4 national sibling days just in the last couple of months!) A lot of teachers will be receiving cards or little gifts. They might be getting awards at a school assembly. They might even get their name on the radio or in some print and/or online article. All of those things are well-deserved, and it is great to give honor to whom it is due. But there is another group of teachers who, most likely, won’t get any of that, and they are…
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Thank You, Danleys!
A few weeks ago, Mary Carol and Turner got to enjoy a wonderful event in East Tennessee. It provided them–and one of their friends, Annie–with a great evening and a lot of fun, but also it helped to show that Christians can do certain “rites of passage” without the influence of the world. Joel and Hannah Danley deserve so much credit for this great evening, which was a formal banquet for high school juniors and seniors. It is meant to be an alternative to the PROM, which, over the years ,has become not only a rite of passage, but an increasingly worldly event. I am so grateful that I grew…
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My Favorite Lads to Leaders Event
It may seem like an odd time to post something about Lads to Leaders, since the national convention was just a couple of weeks ago and the vast majority of folks do not think about starting for the next year for several months. But I want to share with you something today that will, hopefully, challenge families and youth groups to work on one event. It is my favorite event of the entire program, even if it is one that does not get the “buzz” some others do. What is it? Centurion of Scripture. If you are unfamiliar, Centurion of Scripture requires students to memorize 100 verses of the Bible…
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Everybody Needs a Break
Have you ever had that feeling that if one more thing was added to your day you would just explode? I imagine most of us have had this happen to us. Life happens and sometimes it just seems like it piles up too high to breathe. Can you tell I’ve had that feeling lately? Now, I know that part of it is my fault because I can be a procrastinator at times, but really it just seems like one thing piles upon another until I feel like I’m drowning. So, what do you do about it? I take a break! There comes a time when you simply have to back…
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Parents, Who Wins?
For almost 10 years, I was a youth minister. I have also been blessed wherever I have preached to be at congregations that wanted me to have an active part in the youth ministry. And, of course, I am a parent, so I have a vested interest in the health of young people. For all those years, there has been something that I have never understood about many Christian parents, and it has to do with their children’s attendance at worship, Bible classes, and youth activities. When their kids miss things, parents often give an excuse, but, if they would just think through what they are saying, their speech could…
